SILT - Belgium
The landscape icon called SILT is both attractive and has integrity. SILT is an asset to the Flemish coast in more ways than one. With much love for the sea and dunes, the new eye-catcher combines coastal reinforcement, landscape, liveability and sustainability.
SILT: a new beacon at sea
The designers anchored the building to the site by integrating it into a new experienceable landscape inspired by the former island of Testerep, characterised by dune (coastal defence) and gully (prosperity). The merging of the building into a landscape ensures that coastal reinforcement, liveability and sustainability blend harmoniously into the existing coastline. At the heart of the landscape, the hotel tower manifests itself as a new beacon by the sea. SILT also houses a casino, a restaurant, a multi-purpose event space and an underground car park.
Skyscrapers define the skyline of a modern city. For SILT, the design team looked for a ‘landscraper’: a new and unique lying dune landscape with programme in it. We use the landscape, which is so typical, as a means to integrate all the set tasks in a seemingly self-evident way. It results in a new experienceable dune landscape. A landscape where residents and visitors can once again enjoy the view, the sea, the skies and the dunes.
– Steven Delva, founder of DELVA
SILT got a new seawall that can withstand a 1000-year storm
An underground car park provides a car-free zone, freeing up the public space above it. Tallgrass, dune basin and sand channels opening onto the beach give Middelkerke back the so typical landscape it craves. The climb to the top of the new dune offers breathtaking views and is a tourist attraction in itself.
Firmly anchored in place
To anchor the project in the spatial, social and economic characteristics of the site, the design team realised a high-quality integrated concept. Not a detached and inward-looking building, but a building integrated into a landscape that connects sustainably with its surroundings in every way.
The hotel, attached to the event building, graces the shoreline with its enigmatic, sculptural silhouette. An understated, striking building with an open grid of curved beams of Accoya wood. This exudes not only connection with the environment but also sustainability. Because that too is as much at the heart of the design as safety, functionality, aesthetics and economic value. Efforts have been made to optimise energy supply, waste treatment and production processes.
The design rewrites the seaside town’s historical relationship with the sea as well as adding a lot of new public space to the site with a modest hotel tower with a relatively small footprint. At the same time, the hotel tower is also a striking building, with its distinctive shape and wooden facade structure. Visible along the entire historic coastline of the former island of Testerep, from Oostende to Westende. SILT is understated with maximum impact. The catalyst for a new vibrant heart of Middelkerke.
– Reinald Top, partner-architect at ZJA
Protected against heavy storm surges
SILT got a new seawall that can withstand a 1000-year storm. The seawall will hold up during extreme stormy weather with exceptionally high waves and water levels of more than 2 metres above the current high-water mark. SILT is now the best protected site along the Belgian coast.
Going beyond local ambitions
SILT exudes strength, sobriety and sophistication, with a lot of love for the sea and dunes. It is a project that well reflects the character of the seaside resort and could mark the start of a renewed centre of Middelkerke, where it is pleasant to live and stay.
You immediately feel that SILT goes far beyond local ambitions. Whether it is about innovative and aesthetic coastal defence or the development of a fantastic tourist attraction, it is bound to become an irresistible crowd magnet. Not to mention the beautiful architecture we are giving as a gift to our clean, straightened coastline.
– Jean-Marie Dedecker, mayor of Middelkerke
Particularly fast construction time
The project was built extremely quickly. In February 2022, the construction team started excavating the immense construction pit. Just two years later, the building was completed. Thanks to the close cooperation and dedication of all parties involved.
From the moment of breaking ground, everyone was on the same page. And that has proved to be of great value on several occasions. Thus, during the construction process, operators requested a number of new programme elements. Thanks to open and structured communication, we were able to make smooth and unambiguous decisions and managed to deliver the project on time even with the new elements. This is an achievement we can be proud of. We have realised a unique construction project on the Belgian coast, thanks to the expertise, commitment and perseverance of the contractor combination TM Furnibo-Democo, all construction partners and the entire site team.
– Guy De Meyer (project manager of delegated builder Debuild)
SILT has already received two awards
The International Architecture Award and the World Landscape Award.
VRT NWS
Middelkerke is best protected piece of Flanders thanks to sea wall in new casino Silt
Find out more about Middelkerke’s new casino and the surrounding landscape in an interview with landscape architect Steven Delva.
- Location
- Middelkerke - Belgium
- Status
- Completed
- Client
- Municipality of Middelkerke
- Together with
- ZJA, OZ, Bureau Bouwtechniek, Debuild Services, TM Furnibo-DEMOCO, VK architects+engineers, Beersnielsen Lichtontwerpers, Witteveen+Bos, Sertius
- Fotografie
- Sebastian van Damme, Stefan Steenkiste