COPERNICUS

In the second semester of my bridging program in Interior Architecture at the University of Antwerp, I collaborated with third-year bachelor students on the Bachelor’s Project. Commissioned by the City of Antwerp and AG Vespa, the assignment focused on revaluing the Copernicus Site — a complex near Antwerp Central Station that includes a church, monastery, chapel, school, apartment building, director’s residence, and a homeless shelter. The goal was to give the site a renewed social character that benefits the neighbourhood.

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Together with a fellow student, I developed the concept of The Creative Neighbourhood Hub. The goals is to create a vibrant space where refugees, artists and local residents connect through art, reuse and community interaction. The program combined a variety of functions: a mini mart, coffee- and brunch bar, second-hand & upcycling store, multicultural cafe, studios, creative ateliers, a gallery, sports and recreation facilities, as well as multipurpose community rooms. By removing unused structures, we created a larger, continuous green area that enhances both accessibility and quality of life on the site.