Studio Okami Architects | 69 Floor, The Beast Duplex in the Belgian Riverfront Building

The Riverfront Building, which houses the project, is an early 1970s high-rise designed by Leon Stynen and Paul De Meyer, located at a bend in the Skelter River, just steps from Antwerp city centre. Located on the 14th floor of the building, the home of Bram Van Cauter, the founding architect of the Okami firm, the project is now transformed into a mono-style duplex apartment that matches the building's architectural style after interior renovations and renovations.
The new office of Okami is located on the 11th floor of the building, and when it was purchased, the owner was informed that the owner wanted to sell his remaining property in the building, one of which is a unique duplex. The Riverfront Building consists of commercial space on the ground floor and a 20-story apartment building on the top. The apartment area ranges from 90 square meters, 150 square meters to 200 square meters. The only exception is the 14th floor of the project, where the duplex apartments, internal corridors, and two elevators connected to the corridor form a unique flat layout.

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This project apartment originally consisted of five bedrooms, and in the renovation, the Okami firm demolished the walls of the bedrooms and stripped away all decorative layers on the walls and ceiling, exposing the beautiful textured concrete in the space. After the rough concrete was sandblasted and the dust settled, the 230-square-meter open duplex apartment with only one bedroom became the new home for Doris and their dog, Señor Peña, on the 14th and 15th floors of the building. The white, peachy resin floor balances against the rough concrete texture, while the concrete walls are also the ideal backdrop for homeowner Doris's art collection, and the existing pews and hooks on the concrete define the specific location of each artwork. The few walls in the room are made of bricks and cement, with small stones mixed into the cement, which makes the walls look more real and interesting.

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Upon entering the apartment, the first thing to look at is the revolving windows of the entire wall. Large areas of glass open the space two stories high to the outside, where one can overlook the harbor and the nearby forest. The space was conceived as an entertainment area, with kitchen appliances hidden in wall-mounted furniture units inspired by the minimalist artwork of artist Donald Judd. The kitchen island corresponds to the wall-mounted furniture unit, not being used like a silver sculpture in the room, but displaying its own functions when cooking. Remodeling the apartment 45 meters from the ground means that all the custom furniture in the project needs to match the internal elevators, the capacity of the elevators determines the maximum size of Nakajima, while also forcing designers to weld spiral staircases and walkway platforms on site, and after installation they also need to be painted with paint In blue. This part of the work was done by Stielatelier and finished quite well. In order to optimize the flow of traffic inside the room, the new staircase is moved to the farthest corner of the room. During the ascent of the stairs, the beautiful view outside the top-floor window will also gradually be taken over by people.

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The upper level space on the 15th floor is more hidden than the living area on the lower level, and a few straight concrete beams define the tone of the space, bringing the bedroom and the study into it. On the east side of the apartment, one can overlook the skyline of the city of Antwerp in a living room with a study. The upper level space is organized around a service unit that contains a bathroom, storage room, washer/dryer, and a changing room. In the interior of the bathroom, the peach coating extends to the walls, ensuring the waterproof effect of the interior of the bathroom. This spacious space offers residents a double shower, washbasin and bathtub. The smooth walls contrast sharply with the rough concrete beams that run through the ceiling. At night, the orange light of the bathroom intersects with the lights of the city and the port outside the window, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

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There is no set room in the apartment, a consensus reached by Doris and Bram Van Cauter, since they also have another duplex apartment on the same floor of the building. This apartment houses Doris Art Gallery as well as folklore, enough to welcome their loved ones and friends to stay and bring them the perfect riverside mansion experience. THE RIVERSIDE BUILDING CAN BE SEEN AS A FRONTLINE CONDOMINIUM OR A VERTICAL STREET WHERE ALL THE NEIGHBORS GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND SHARE PUBLIC SPACES LIKE LAUNDRY, LAUNDRY, SPACIOUS ENTRANCE HALL, AND MORE, OVERLOOKING THE SAME PUBLIC GARDEN AND ENJOY SOCIAL NEIGHBORHOOD INTERACTION. The building fully reflects the design style of Leon Stynen and Paul De Meyer. In addition to the Riverfront Building, their representative works include BP Building, Santa Rita Church, Peter Pan School, and Desinger Concert Hall.

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