C II Penthouse is perched atop a 24-storey residential tower overlooking Antwerp's Nieuw Zuid area on the river Schelde. The tower block, by Danish practice C.F. Møller Architects, includes many different types of housing for a varied mix of residents, from small, shared flats, to larger family homes and live-work homes. Besides apartments, the tower block includes shops, office space and communal facilities.

The apartment, whose client is a passionate art lover, is spread over an area of 240 m², its U-shaped plan wrapping the staircase core of the tower. The exterior and façade meander through a set of overhanging terraces and floor to ceiling windows, yielding panoramic views of the entire Flemish city. The entrance grants access to the living and dining areas together with the kitchen. Parallel to the river, a covered outdoor space adjacent to the living and dining spaces peers over the body of water.

Within the plan, two volumes were inserted to accommodate the toilet, cloakroom, and kitchen pantry. These volumes, separating the living, dining, and kitchen areas, create vertical surfaces onto which art is displayed. The master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom faces the city center whereas two guest rooms and bathrooms lie on the opposite side of the apartment, facing west.

Materials here play a central role. The team worked with strong contrasts: Dark and light, bone color and charcoal black. The materials sourced are all natural and organic as in the dark wood wall paneling in kitchen and living space. The darker tones are reprised in the kitchen with dark oak, dark tiles and the Nero Zimbabwe kitchen top. The wash basin in the master bathroom is also made of Nero Zimbabwe. The bathroom floors and the showers are made of Chambolle stone. The master bedroom is lined with vegetal wallpaper. Parquet flooring (a warm oak tone) features throughout the apartment with a few exceptions in stone as stated above.

Loose furniture and lighting also carry the dark vs. light contrast element that pervades the entire home.

Photos by Piet Albert Goethals