The AMS Boogkeers project includes the restoration and renovation of two historic buildings and the construction of a new building for the main campus of the Antwerp School of Management. The project is part of a municipal ecosystem of start-ups, scale-ups and support facilities, including the StartUpVillage project across the road (which was also designed by our office).
The building program consists primarily of educational space and corresponding support and administrative services. It includes an underground parking garage, bike storage and archives. The auditorium and other high-density spaces are clustered in the new building, with smaller classrooms and administrative program rooms located in the historic building.
The new building is characterized by its flexible layout and structure, while specific room sequences, circulation systems, and lobbies in the historic building have been carefully preserved. The new building and the historic building are connected by a central foyer and a spacious multifunctional space that opens to an inner courtyard and roof garden.
The inner courtyard is an important spatial element in the design, providing an important perimeter to the rear elevation of the Lange Gasthuisstraat monument, as well as providing daylight and external space and centrality to the multi-purpose space and auditorium. A contemporary reference to the significant historic public buildings in the neighborhood.
The street side elevation of the new building is made up of a very precise stack of pre-cast concrete elements, while providing structural, insulating and finishing layers to the façade. The façade facing the garden consists of a more elaborate concrete structure that contrasts with the solid wood door structure.
