LOUISE MARIE THROUGH THE EYES OF ANOUK
A few weeks ago Cores introduced me to Louise Marie, a very surprising acquaintance :). Still a bit of a shock when it turns out that one of the largest and most ambitious housing projects of 2018 will appear around the corner.
Even before I had looked at the entire project, I was 100% convinced that its location was a hit. Each of the last 3 places I had lived were – not coincidentally – within a radius of 800 meters from Louise Marie. There are now countless reasons why I no longer want to leave this neighbourhood and why my friend and I decided last year to buy a home in this neighbourhood.
The number of charming restaurants and bars within walking distance are too numerous to count on one hand. Our top favourite remains the Black Smoke rooftop bar. The cocktail and nacho calories are partly compensated for by regular jogging in the nearby Nachtegalenpark.
My friend works in Brussels and is therefore extremely happy that he can reach the E19 in just 2 minutes, avoiding traffic jams in the centre of Antwerp and on the ring road.
After studying the project in detail, I asked myself which aspects in this project make me so enthusiastic. At first sight the most obvious highlights seemed to be the services app, the resident concierge and the fitness centre on the ground floor.
Imagine: a concierge who receives your mail packages when you are not there, a neighbour who lets you know through the services app that he can feed your pet during your vacation. Or … just go to the gym before work, without having to step outside. All aspects that, in my opinion, give a serious boost to contemporary living comfort in its most concrete and functional way :).
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITIES IS THE ENVIRONMENT WHICH YOU COME HOME TO.
But besides all these very-very(!)-nice-to-have extras, there are a lot of deeper-lying qualities inherently connected to this project and this location. One of the most important qualities that, in my opinion, often unconsciously has a huge impact on your mood, is the environment which you come home to, even before you have entered the door.
A street full of grey façades, night shops and no trees in sight deserves at best a low 4 for atmosphere and cosiness.
Louise Marie, on the other hand, is located in one of the most beautiful neighbourhoods of Antwerp. On your way home you go past beautiful Art Nouveau mansions, with almost every street lined with trees or even small parks such as the Hof van Leysen and the Hertogenpark.
You can just pop into the Albert Heijn supermarket, which is just across the street, to do some shopping. And to be honest, a good supermarket across the street is a quality of life in itself, isn’t it? 🙂
AND THEN YOU ENTER THE SITE…
I am impressed by the landscape architects’ dedication to the environmental plan, coming home to Louise Marie is a very pleasant experience: a sloping, beautifully landscaped park garden (where you do not have to worry about the maintenance – a win-win situation) with soothing water features that are reflected in the wall of glass that separates the two towers. You will walk past the Le Corbusier-inspired monumental columns into the gigantic, double-height entrance hall. What a an architectural promenade…
AIRINESS THAT CONTINUES IN THE APARTMENTS
When looking at the plans, it soon becomes clear that daylight can pour abundantly into every living space. Thank you POLO architects for the large glass windows and wide, high, sliding windows that provide access to beautiful, usable terraces. There are no tiny French balconies where you can barely place one seat. All apartments, even the most compact one-bedroom apartments, have spacious terraces with room for a table and four chairs.
Some façades are equipped with offset terraces which make the façades visually attractive from the outside. Moreover, the terraces themselves feel like double-height spaces, which again reinforces the airy, open feeling that the architects have created throughout the design.
In short: a project, with high-level architecture, that was designed from the experience of coming home, living and enjoying.
Anouk Taeymans
@byanouk_
www.byanouk.com
