A.U.L.A. Blue Gate
Blue Gate Antwerp
The former heart of the Antwerp oil industry, known as 'Petroleum Zuid', is currently being remediated by public and private partners to make it futureproof. The area, located just a few kilometres from the city centre, is re-launched under its new name 'Blue Gate Antwerp' as a 63 hectare carbon-neutral business park that is aimed at innovative businesses with a clear ambition: linear growth through circular operations.
Blue Gate Antwerp Building is a public-private partnership between Bopro, AG Vespa and PMV. In collaboration with the city architect, they made a selection of renowned architects with a vision to transform the enormous site - through a series of sub-projects - into a unique hub for research and development, ecological production systems and smart logistics, right by the Scheldt river.
A.U.L.A. project
POLO was one of the architecture offices selected to work on the Blue Gate site and designed the 'Antwerp Urban Logistic Accommodation' or A.U.L.A. project. The project's first phase comprises a state-of-the-art, sustainable and future-oriented warehouse including a parking facility.
Its prominent location on the Blue Gate site was a determining factor for its design. The building, which appears massive at first, marks the access to the business park. As visitors approach, however, the building starts showing its subtle rhythmicity. Vertically mounted fins create a fascinating play of lines. Cladding panels perforated in varying degrees give depth to the façade.
The building accommodates a logistics hall and a large distribution warehouse in the front. The mezzanine level houses office spaces. Generous window openings in the shape of a horizontal letterbox window allow plenty of natural daylight into the offices. The service areas were distributed across the ground floor's four corners: entrance hall, utility room, lifts, stairs and sanitary facilities. All these secondary spaces were designed to be as compact as possible in order to provide maximal space for the distribution warehouse.
At the back of the building is a five-storey parking facility. Employees and visitors park their vehicles on the ground floor, while the four remaining levels are used to park and charge the electric distribution vans.
Along a green passage, on the left side of the building, is a large canopy that connects both units. The canopy was designed in an orderly truss structure. Both the distribution centre's rooftop and the canopy were fitted with solar panels that are invisible from the ground level thanks to the height and the canopy edge detailing.
To ensure operational efficiency, the building was designed based on flows. Inside the building, people enter an area from one side and come out on the other side. Outside, we see the same efficiency in the form of an ingenious route optimisation for loading and unloading. A meticulously devised mechanism allows vans to enter and exit safely around the clock according to a cleverly timed planning.
BREEAM ‘Excellent’
The project team made a resolute choice for sustainability. The building was awarded a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating. To further reduce the building’s environmental footprint, the roof and all of the façades were insulated using mineral wool without adhesive, so that all elements and materials can be repurposed in the future. All technologies are managed and controlled from a digital facility management system that uses smart monitoring to ensure optimised energy use and a healthy and comfortable work environment. A rainwater collection system is in place. Moreover the building is connected to a heat grid.
Another crucial element in this setup is the transition to e-mobility. The building and its infrastructure can accommodate up to 450 electric vehicles that carry out the carbon-neutral last-mile deliveries for the city of Antwerp and its surroundings. The upper floors of the parking facility currently boast 16 charging stations, which will be significantly expanded in the future. The ultimate goal is an all-electric company fleet.
