The De Koninck brewery site, measuring nearly 1 ha, was dominated by a series of old houses, brewery buildings and warehouses from a wide variety of periods. The brewing process was moved to a new brewing hall, in which the majority of the production now takes place.

CRAFT FOOD CENTRE

The shift of these brewery activities has made room for a new chapter on the site: the introduction of a handful of new activities, through which De Koninck wants to open up to the public as an attraction for tourists and Antwerp citizens in the first place and the surrounding population in the second place.

A new visitor centre, mostly located within the existing premises, aims to highlight the ‘bolleke’ beer in all its facets in an interactive way. In addition, a craft food centre was set up for a number of Antwerp-based culinary tastemakers to sell their products.

NEW GATEHOUSE

The project is mainly characterised by the construction of a semi-public alley connecting Boomgaardstraat and Mechelsesteenweg. This alley deserves a proper valorisation in the form of a high-quality transformation into public space with a new gatehouse on Mechelsesteenweg as the crowning achievement. This new intervention must make it clear that the old complex is given a new purpose.

www.dekoninck.be

photography: Stijn Bollaert