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Connection between the reused slaughterhouse and the new classroom tower
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Transparent ground floor with classrooms and lecture halls
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Ground floor corridors allow views up to the roof, which peaks at 18 meters
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New upper floor with labs and workshops, and mezzanine with HVAC systems
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View of the transformed slaughterhouse hall and the new classroom tower, before landscaping
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Original structure is left exposed on the facade
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Site plan
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Ground floor plan
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Section
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Axonometry
University Campus
OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen. Antwerpen, Belgium
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Name of work in English
University Campus
Prize year
EUmies Awards 2026
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Work Location
Antwerpen, Belgium
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Studio
OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen
EUmies Awards 2026 Nominees
The project transforms a former slaughterhouse in Antwerp into the new campus of the AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts. A reused single-story industrial hall becomes a hi-tech workspace for approximately 3,500 students, complemented by a new tower.
Collaborators
Structure: Group D; Installations: Studiebureau Van Reeth; Acoustics: Venac; Landscape: PosadMaxwan; Construction management: Vanhout; Collaborator (office): Jan Lenaerts - OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen; Collaborator (office): Inga Karen Traustadóttir - OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen; Collaborator (office): Bart Lantmeeters - Jaspers-Eyers Architects
Program
Education
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Labels
University · Research
Site area
9500 m²
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Client
AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Triple Living, Immobel
Total gross floor
21800 m²
Located in Antwerp’s Dam district, the project reuses one of the remaining 1950s concrete halls of the former slaughterhouse as a new campus for the AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The single-story industrial hall is transformed into a workspace for science and biomedical technology students, while a new adjacent tower houses classrooms and administration. Set within a planned public park, the tower and the hall together make the civic landmark of the future sustainable mixed-use development, blending the old industrial heritage with the new youthful and vibrant urban district.
The main challenge was to adapt an industrial slaughterhouse to a university campus while preserving its structural character. The transformation involved inserting a new floor slab within the existing hall, which doubled the original 7.600 m² surface area, creating two levels of workshops, lecture rooms and laboratories organised by two wide parallel corridors. This new structural ‘table’ standing on round columns is distinguished by its smooth concrete finishing from the exposed existing concrete structure. The new structure further stabilises the original facade, which was cut at the lower level to make a continuous glazed panelling on the ground floor. Above, the facade is perforated with round openings which either serve as windows or air vents, while new mezzanine structures make use of the height of the existing shed roof for technical utilities. The adjacent stepped tower, connected to the hall by a ground-floor passage, houses additional classrooms and administration.
The project preserves the existing concrete structure of the hall, leaving it exposed while introducing a new smooth concrete floor slab supported by round columns. The new structure stabilises the original facade, which was partially cut to integrate continuous glazing. Above, circular openings serve as windows and air vents. Cathodic protection was applied to prevent corrosion of rebars in the existing concrete, and an extensive smoke extraction system was installed to meet safety regulations. Sustainable considerations include the reuse of the existing shell to minimise material consumption, efficient new materials, and low-maintenance concrete finishes ensuring long-term durability and reduced operational costs.