Share

From 2019, the Gedempte Zuiderdokken area will provide underground parking spaces for 2,000 cars and 300 bicycles in two car parks. Antwerp's Zuiderdokken, the southern docks, have been filled in as part of a programme to revitalise this part of the city. Q‑Park's plan was chosen because of the respect shown for the historical nature of the docks, the integration with the above-ground developments, and its strong reputation as parking company. Construction work will start in September 2017.

The Gedempte Zuiderdokken area will be rejuvenated. In the northern and southern zone between the Waalsekaai and the Vlaamsekaai, also known as the Steendok and Kooldok, Q-Park will provide more than 2,000 underground parking spaces for cars and 300 spaces for bicycles from 2019.

The Gedempte Zuiderdokken area

- Koen Kennis, Antwerp's portfolio holder for mobility, emphasises the importance of the bicycle parking that will be available for residents as well as visitors to Antwerp. -

The two car parks will be part of the eleven Park + Walk locations that the city of Antwerp is planning on the loop formed by the streets with names ending in ‘kaai’ and ‘lei’. These will provide easily accessible places to park at the edge of the inner city for residents, commuters and visitors to the City of Antwerp. From there they will be encouraged them to visit the pedestrian-friendly city centre.

‘kaai’ and ‘lei’ loop with 11 Park + Walk locations

An important aspect is that the car parks will be built almost entirely underground. This will create a spacious area above ground that will be mainly greenery as the design team envisages a large park here with gardens and recreational facilities. The choice for this total concept accentuates the city council's ambition to rejuvenate this area and to engage residents in intensive interaction with the environment.

Current situation at the Zuiderdokken, with above ground parking

Green and open space at the Zuiderdokken (2022), with underground parking

The choice for Q-Park as private parking partner is perhaps due to their design that integrates with the historical nature of the location as well as the future above ground usage of the location. For example, in the underground car parks the old quay walls will be exposed at level -1.

In addition to the convincing arguments presented in the design, Q-Park is also a leading car parking company and enjoys a strong reputation for quality and reliability. Q-Park is known nationally and internationally for its numerous high-quality parking facilities at strategic locations: city centres, shopping centres, hospitals, train stations, airports and universities.

Q-Park design with the quay walls exposed at level -1

The redevelopment of the Zuiderdokken is one of the key transformations that Antwerp southern city centre will undergo in the coming years. Construction will take place in two phases and will be complete in 2019:

• Work will start in September 2017 on the southern car park which will be called ‘Steendok’. This will provide some 900 parking spaces for cars, and is expected to open in the autumn of 2018.

• At this point, work will start on the northern ‘Kooldok’ car park, which will have some 1,100 parking spaces. Above ground there will still be space for about 120 cars. This facility is expected to open in the autumn of 2019.

- Koen Kennis, Antwerp's portfolio holder for mobility, stresses that by constructing the underground facilities in phases, parking spaces will be available at all times during the work. -

Artist impression of Kooldok entrance