Cultural Plaza and Digital Port, Namur Building, Architects, Wallonia Informative Architecture Images

Cultural Plaza and Digital Port in Namur

Contemporary Wallonia Visitors Attraction in Belgium design by 3XN Architects

6 Dec 2016

Cultural Plaza and Digital Port

Architects: 3XN

Location: Namur, Belgium

Beautiful Game of Terraces wins in Wallonia, Belgium

At the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre rivers, adjacent to the historic Roman citadel and across from the Wallonian Parliament in Namur, Belgium; 3XN’s ‘beautiful game of terraces’ in the form of a Cultural Plaza and Digital Port; invites the rediscovery of this historic setting.

The City of Namur announced the unanimous choice for the winning team of their international competition this week, designed by 3XN Architects of Denmark, in collaboration with BEE Architect, JNC International, Lateral Thinking Factory and Arcadis. The consortium is led by De Graeve – Nonet – Duchène.

The winning design creates a destination with a strong identity and true sense of place. Envisioned as an economic driver for the 21st century, the new Digital Port will be a cultural building encompassing a range of activities, where modern technologies will be made available to citizens and the Smart City project.

Designed to flow across the site in one continuous gesture, the plaza and digital port are inspired by the natural forms of the river and organic patterns of nature. Soft curves define the project and will connect with visitors in a warm embrace that is human-scaled and friendly. The Jury commended the design, ‘’The whole riverfront façade is open to the water: a beautiful game of terraces inviting the rediscovery of the Meuse River; its rhythm; its life animated by boats and movement.’’

‘‘The attractiveness of the space takes many forms’’, says Jan Ammundsen, Senior Partner, 3XN. ‘’It partly comes from the building itself, conceived as a visible symbol of the Confluence between the rivers, and offering direct and indirect connections with water. It is a place that is both sensitive and contemporary; arranged for different activities, with a view over a magnificent and active landscape.’’

About 3XN
3XN Architects, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, employs nearly 100 staff in offices in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Sydney. The studio has designed a range of high-profile cultural, commercial and residential buildings, including UN City and Denmark’s National Aquarium, Den Blå Planet, in Copenhagen, the International Olympic Committee headquarters in Lausanne, the Quay Quarter Tower in Sydney and Museum of Liverpool.