The history of the Left Bank of Antwerp, Belgium reveals a district that has emerged from a patchwork of plans that have only been partially implemented, leaving an area composed of a multitude of urban strategies from low rise suburban to high-rise modernist planning. The competition provided a unique opportunity to develop urban proposals which will feed into the process of transformation of this central, yet disconnected, part of the city.

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Through the provision of new housing, amenities and a diverse public landscape with excellent pedestrian connections, the project aims to consolidate and upgrade The Left Bank as a distinctive but integral district of Antwerp.

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The masterplan proposes a rich tapestry of urban form, creating a series of distinct and vibrant communities. At the heart of the proposal is the provision of new housing and amenities, located amongst the existing residential towers. This provides the Left Bank with a new neighbourhood centre – a distinctive focus which it currently lacks.

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The design creates new physical and spatial connections between the Left Bank and the city centre while also accommodating city growth, providing new amenities, and delivering a diverse and pleasurable public landscape with river access.

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Within the river is a new mixed-use ‘stepping stone’ quarter which features housing, commercial and public amenities and visitor destinations connected to both the right and left banks by two new bridges.

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Anchoring the built form is a landscape strategy which retains public access to the waterfront and provides a wide range of community uses, landscape characters and ecologies.