A minimalist Belgian penthouse sets the mood for summer relaxation by the sea
Designed by Merckx-Holvoet in Knokke-Heist, V Penthouse translates the shifting colours, textures and atmosphere of the North Sea into a calm family retreat for weekends and summer escapes
A sublimely minimalist Belgian penthouse by architecture studio Merckx-Holvoet is just the thing for those long, hot summer days when easy living and going back to basics are in order. The project, titled V Penthouse, was crafted in an existing unit by the Antwerp-based architects Marc Merckx and Sébastien Holvoet and their team, and blends contemporary chic with the glamour its established seaside resort, Knokke-Heist, is known for.
Explore this Belgian penthouse by the sea
The client, a couple and their two young children, came to the studio with the desire to create a coastal pied-a-terre, a space that can allow for carefree time over weekends and holidays. The project would acts as a refreshing counterbalance to their busy urban lives in a Belgian city the rest of the year.
As a result, the architecture team focused on opening up to the surrounding landscape and, at the same time, bringing hints of the context in. Compositions are framed towards large windows, which create long views of the beach and sea. Meanwhile, the project's materiality takes its cues from local, natural colours and materials, and the shifting hues of the North Sea.
To achieve the textures of its setting, in a refined, polished way that is befitting of 21st-century family life, Merckx-Holvoet clad the walls and floors of the main living spaces in a unifying way, using sandblasted Travertino Noce stone. The ceiling's plaster gives a subtly sandy finish.
Timber elements bring smoothness and warmth to the composition, such as the main, solid oak-built staircase at the heart of the home. Bespoke millwork also features in the kitchen cabinets and its generous island.
A balcony acts as an extension to the living space. When the glazing is drawn back fully, living room and outdoors become one, highlighting the long views across the North Sea waters.
The ultimate aim? The architects write: 'More than a temporary retreat, it becomes a quiet extension of the coast itself, a place shaped as much by atmosphere as by function.'
