Concept

Take Off is a large-scale project development area situated southwest of Ghent between the R4 ring road and the E40 motorway with the aim of strengthening the city's economic position at a regional, national and international level. The site is currently dominated by Flanders Expo, but will be transformed into a new, bustling and green city district by creating a mix of office space, retail outlets, leisure and residential space in addition to Flanders Expo's current activities.

With TAKE OFF, ECPD will be responsible for zone planning along the western side. This includes Zones 01, 05w, 07, 12w, 13 and 17 covering a total GFA of 113,350 m². The north-western zones (01, 05w and 07) will form part of the development's first phase for which a vision has been created that will unify the plans for office and long-term and short-term accommodation into a functional, ecological and architectural whole.

Plots 01 and 07 will form a transition between the development site's high-density core area and the low-density areas surrounding the development. Buildings will be positioned along an imaginary organic axis that seems to flow with the curves of the ring road. This flow will be juxtaposed by developments planned for Plot 05w, where a solid, boldly delineated urban strip will act as the highlight within the highly dense core development. Wide-open spaces and visual axes between buildings will cater for the strip's transparency. The common thread through the entire development will be a wide green boulevard along Plot 07 that will cut through Plot 05w and ultimately fan out into a rich green area in Plot 01.

The development plots will be accessible via an internal ring road that will connect the entire Take Off site and provide direct access to the R4 ring road and E40 motorway. Walking and cycle paths along the green axes will connect the various development sites and form a link within a larger infrastructure network for pedestrians and cyclists.

Car parks and bicycle racks will be implemented aboveground and underground in the direct vicinity of the various buildings. The infrastructure will be integrated into the whole – architecturally and ecologically. Site water management will be achieved by means of on-site buffering and buildings will be designed to be as energy efficient as possible.

The architectural concept will unite form and function. Organic and rectilinear shapes will form a coherent whole. Each building will have its own identity, yet will form an important part of the overall picture. The key concept is Variations on a Theme whereby each building will have its own identity within the whole. The materials to be used have been chosen for their durability and quality.