Header: Sebastian van Damme
SILT Middelkerke is a coastal venue on the Flemish coast of Belgium designed by DELVA Landscape Architecture and Urbanism, with Steven Delva as the lead designer. The new building is home to a hotel, a casino, a restaurant, an event venue, and even an underground parking within a dune-inspired landscape.
The new tower rises among the dunes and is visible along the coastline from Ostend to Westend, which is why the design team decided to enclose it with a wooden lattice structure, which softens its visual impact. The wood’s color blends with the surrounding dune vegetation, ensuring that the structure won’t clash with its delicate environment, both aesthetically and ecologically.
Around the tower, the designers carefully created a landscape incorporating artificial dunes, native plantings, and pathways that echo the natural topography of coastal sand formations. This car-free public area connects the streets of Middelkerke directly to the beach, facilitating pedestrian access and open views of the North Sea. Curving paths and seating areas follow the contours of the dunes, creating spaces where visitors can enjoy uninterrupted coastal views while enjoying each other’s company.
Functional spaces and amenities are embedded within the dunes, including the casino and event venues, which are partially set into the ground to minimize their visual impact and maintain the site’s low profile. To support the coast and the city itself, the designers added an integrated seawall designed to protect against extreme weather events, ensuring the long-term durability and security of not just the tower but also of the entire area.
The project was recently recognized by the prestigious BLT Built Design Awards, a platform that strives to share design with the world. It won the coveted Landscape Architecture—Hotel and Resort Landscape prize.
- Company/Firm: Delva Landscape Architecture and Urbanism
- Lead Designer: Steven Delva
- Other Credits: ZJA, OZ architect
