Buying a castle together

De Living, Antwerp

Boekenberg Castle, a listed monument, is situated in the Boekenbergpark in Antwerp. Symbiosis, a civic foundation, wanted to purchase the castle and convert it into a collective housing project known as De Living van Antwerpen ('Antwerp's living room') together with future residents aged fifty and older. The objective is to create a design that will allow residents to live independently, with attention to their well-being and care needs. Architecture firms Polygoon, Rooilijn and Steenmeijer were approached for the design. The planning permission procedure is still pending (2019).

The aim of the castle renovation is to restore as much of the original structure, façades and interior as possible. This is extremely challenging given its location in a public park. The ten compact residential units are situated on the first and second floors and offer plenty of privacy. Most of the common areas – including a kitchen, a meeting and living room, guest rooms and care rooms, a laundry room, a terrace and storage units – are situated centrally on the ground floor, for the best accessibility and visibility. The Symbiosis foundation also wants the common areas to be accessible to locals. All rooms have been designed for lifelong housing and each apartment has its own kitchen and bathroom facilities.