OYO Architects raises steel office above Ostend warehouse for Elia

OYO Architects has completed a service centre for energy company Elia in Ostend, Belgium, featuring a steel-framed office block perched above a harbourside warehouse. The design, intended to evoke offshore platforms, separates the warehouse and office functions into two distinct elements: a long monolithic concrete block for the warehouse and a three-storey steel structure raised on columns for offices. The office block offers views across the docks and serves as a landmark. Inside, the lower two floors house open-plan offices, a control room, and meeting spaces, while the upper floor contains a visitor centre and viewpoint. The red steel structure is exposed throughout, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a wrap-around steel walkway. Maritime themes are echoed in the precast concrete cladding panels cast on sand for a rippled effect, and in the use of recycled materials: old sea buoys converted into entrance lights by designer Re-volt, carpets made from recycled fishing nets, acoustic panels from seagrass, and side tables incorporating seashells. OYO Architects described the project as a 'high-performance machine' that reflects Elia's technical marine operations without direct imitation. The studio emphasized a 'pure and maximally functional design' that aligns with Elia's desire for an aesthetically pleasing and functionally optimised building. The project was photographed by Johnny Umans.