A new office building, the Katarina Gate, has appeared near a busy intersection on the outskirts of Bruges. This site used to be home to an office building and row of dilapidated houses, and was considered a difficult site to open up for development.

The designers developed a phased plan in collaboration with VK to resolve the mobility issues. They were also keen to bring new life to the port related aspects of the site.

The first phase involved the renovation of the office building (2,500 m²) and was put into use by the local government. During phase two, the dilapidated houses were removed to make place for a new office building. At the same time, the ‘lack of services’ issue was tackled, in part by the creation of an underground parking garage for 160 cars. A new, safer bicycle path was laid through the site to allow cyclists to avoid the busy traffic at the intersection. Walkways with pleasant greenery were created along with paved areas. In phase three, the 2 office buildings were connected by building a massive, elevated, glass-sided beam (3,300 m²). This gives the complex the feel of a ‘gateway’. The result is a distinctive complex which has become an area landmark.

The total project contains and area of 10,000 m² of office space. The work is being carried out using a ‘collaborative effort’ formula.