Sophie Soenen

This project focuses on the reuse of an abandoned cooling tower into a vertical farm and research facility. The cooling tower is located in Marchienne-au-Pont, in the region of Charleroi. The area was impacted harshly by the industrial decline. The tower is set at the fringe of the city of Charleroi, right around 5km away from the centre. The monument is ideally placed to be connected to the food belt, an initiative to produce local food around the city. The vertical farm is inserted into the space without interfering with the empty shell, and the original structure is maintained in its original state.

The visitor is invited into the tower from a footbridge winding through the surrounding nature. The foyer of the tower is located on the first floor. While entering, the visitor is met by the impressive scale of the space. A cylinder made out of a metallic structure and a polycarbonate membrane containing the farm is placed in the centre of the space. The public elevator in the middle of the tower accompanies the visitor throughout the farm. Along the ride to the top, platforms allow the visitors to witness the farming process without interfering with it. The majority of the floors are reserved for food production and research and have been designed with simplicity and efficiency. The top of the tower is reserved for the public where there is a learning centre containing exhibitions, workshops and other pedagogical tools. At the very top is the panoramic restaurant where the guests can enjoy the view while tasting meals prepared with food produced in the tower.

As the tower is reused and transformed into a vertical farm, the monument will become the landmark of Marchienne-au-Pont’s industrial reconversion.

SCHUNCK cannot guarantee the correctness of content and expression. The participants themselves are responsible for their entries. The copyright of the projects underlies to the authors, any reproduction or use of the shown material is strictly forbidden.