The new SILT Middelkerke hotel on the Belgian North Sea coast is an extraordinary and unique building in a prominent location. The free-form exoskeleton made of glulam, which is visible from afar, encompasses the entire building and blends harmoniously into the surrounding dune landscape. The shape of the building is reminiscent of a harbor bollard.
Special requirements for wood protection
The structure has an impressive size of around 42m x 33m with a height of 25m and consists of a total of 1314 glulam components. Special attention had to be paid to the corrosive environment due to the immediate proximity to the sea. Consequently, the choice fell on the particularly resistant wood Accoya (acetylated Pinus Radiata) – a product that had already been successfully used in the KGX1 Google HQ project in London. The components were transported to the construction site with pre-assembled steel parts. For logistical reasons, however, the individual “crosses” and larger modules were only assembled on the construction site.
Optimized logistics concept
The degree of pre-assembly was always chosen in such a way that the effort on site was minimized, but the components to be transported could still be easily packed into manageable packages. This made it possible to reduce the number of transports and also to dispense with complex and cost-intensive special transports altogether.
A tight schedule typical of the project business required efficient cooperation between the project participants. This made it possible to complete the project from planning to final assembly within a year. The official opening took place on April 20, 2024 with around 25,000 visitors.
