The Mark: a sustainable urban blend of retail and residential living Antwerp
The Mark is a mixed-use urban project in Antwerp South, where a new store for Colruyt is integrated with a residential project. Colruyt Group initiated the redevelopment of the urban site of their outdated store with an above-ground parking lot into a new mixed-use project. After receiving the permit, Zabra, as the developer, took over the marketing of the residential units. Commercially, this project was a great success.
The project is located in a dense urban block, with a large retail volume forming its core. The store is largely hidden from the street, surrounded by homes and apartments that create street walls in line with the neighborhood. The development includes 25 apartments and 4 patio homes with private gardens, arranged around green courtyards, rooftop gardens, and terraces. The green courtyards are visible from the street through the apartment entrance zones. The patio homes feature wooden cladding, and each unit has high-quality outdoor spaces, such as spacious terraces or intensive rooftop gardens with both terraces and plants.
The store is exceptionally insulated to meet sustainability goals, using thick textile insulation for the walls, while the roofs are heavily insulated and equipped with green roofs and PV panels. All residential units have an E-level of 40 or lower, and for the store, Colruyt maximized renewable insulation materials, renewable energy, heat recovery, and reduced water usage in line with their CSR charter. The project’s irregular shape adapts to complex boundary edges, ensuring integration with neighboring plots through careful building height, detailing, and material usage. The store area covers 3,285 m², including storage, butcher’s section, cold room, checkout area, and social spaces, with an additional 600 m² for the entrance and unloading dock.
The underground floor includes a parking lot with 146 spaces for both the store and residents, a retail storage area, collect & go zone, and technical rooms. Delivery vans have direct basement access, and parking spaces are shared with the neighborhood outside store hours. The ground floor features a large retail space with bike storage, escalators, and an elevator to the parking level. A compact logistics zone on Jonghelinckstraat allows truck unloading off public streets, while residential areas surround the courtyards. The design includes masonry and a recessed floor with decorative plaster above a concrete plinth.
eld was assigned as architect, structural engineer and MEP engineer for this project.
The project blends commercial and residential spaces, prioritizing sustainability!
