ASTRON - European news - 27 May 2005
A spectacular "first" for Builder Ipes in BelgiumThe first 6-storey steel building from ASTRON in Belgium has been completed by Builder Ipes! This dramatic new office building is situated on the city limits of Ghent, one of Europe’s most famous port cities. An ASTRON Builder for more than 22 years, Ipes has, in its time, built some 30 projects with ASTRON covering more than 250.000 m². Many demonstrate a highly imaginative use of the ASTRON system. In this project, Ipes was Builder and client at the same time, in that the 15.000 m² building will act as Ipes’ new headquarters. It was conceived to reflect an image of a contemporary port, symbolising the history and trades that made Ghent famous. ASTRON’s multi-storey buildings offer many of the advantages necessary to successfully manage a large-scale project. Thierry Storme, director of Ipes, said "Whether to build in steel or concrete is no longer really a question. Today, more and more architects now use a combination of the two materials. Flexible solutions, solid structural design combined with aesthetics, competitive pricing; ASTRON has adapted its systems well to the new market requirements. For the Liberty project, the main advantages were the price and the fixed delivery terms, as well as the simple erection with steel beams incorporated in the intermediate floors. This latter feature provided excellent free heights between the floors as well as reducing the structural area that had to be painted for fire protection". Floors are set back from one another which, combined with the intensive use of glass and aluminium, plus the rotunda with its granite cladding, serve to give the Liberty building a modern and contemporary look. Completed only 15 months after work started, it will serve as Builder Ipes’ headquarters and, at the same time, accommodate such prestigious companies as Esko graphics, BMT and the administration centre of the Ghent-based Floralies. Two levels of underground parking were incorporated into the design. |
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| • Builder: Ipes n.v. • Customer: Liberty Invest n.v. • Architects: Yvan Van Mossevelde / D. Van Impe | ||||
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