Scheldehof & Kop van het DoK, Vlissingen | Atelier PRO architects

Over the past 10 years, atelier PRO has been intensively involved in the transformation of the Schelde shipyard in Vlissingen - an important piece of industrial heritage on the edge of the center - into a new, vibrant city district: the Scheldt Quarter. This process started in 2013, when WVO Zorg commissioned us to renovate and expand the former Plaatwerkerij into a Scheldehof residential care center. This care complex has space for somatic homes, psycho-geriatric areas and adjoining homes, but also for public facilities such as a restaurant, studios, a cinema, a theater, a hair salon and shops. With Kop van het Dok, 180 regular homes have now also been added to the complex, which are partly arranged in such a way that care can be provided, and which consist of a mix of social rent, middle rent and owner-occupied homes.

Transformation: from shipyard to residential care center
When client WVO Zorg was looking for new housing, the municipality of Vlissingen offered one option: the Scheldt site in the port. The former shipyard housed the disused Heavy Plate Factory, a huge factory and one of the city's heritage icons. A residential care center does not seem to be the most logical destination for a dilapidated, former factory warehouse, but WVO Zorg saw the potential of the giant building and the location on the edge of the center of Vlissingen, and therefore chose to renovate and expand the building. Atelier PRO was responsible for the redevelopment, the new building and the interior.

“The central starting point of Scheldehof's design was that it should be more than a building, but a place where residents are pleasant to stay and where there is something to do; a nice environment that ensures that people come to you, and at the same time heals a part of the city. A building that cares about the city,” says Dorte Kristensen, architect director atelier PRO.

De Plaatwerkerij: industrial heritage in the heart of Vlissingen

De Zware Plaatwerkerij - an industrial 'box' of around 37,600 m3 in size - was in a very bad condition and therefore had to be completely stripped, except for the steel frame and roof. From there, the building was rebuilt, reusing as many original elements as possible - such as the huge steel doors, the supports and the indoor crane. For the replacement masonry, we deliberately looked for a stone that matched the original appearance of the factory hall, where, for improved light, we opened the outer walls more. The ground floor houses a restaurant, studios, a cinema, a theater, a hair salon and retail spaces, surrounded by the 120 rooms of the somatic and psychiatric patients. The colossal, dark and dilapidated building - where some of the current residents still worked - has been transformed into a vibrant place for all residents of Flushing.‍

Industrial details in a new interior

The closed façade of the Plaatwerkerij has been broken open, with brick making way for a lot of glass, and the old industrial doors have also been opened and filled with windows. For example, the former factory hall has been transformed into a transparent and inviting building from the outside and inside. A corten steel gate on the dock side serves as the main entrance to the care complex. Inside, three floors of houses and voids have been added that hang like separate pieces of furniture in the huge space. All public functions are located on the ground floor; the restaurant is directly visible from the entrance, and offers a mix of seating options and garden views. The general atmosphere is industrial, interspersed with blond wood, warm colors and oases of green; preserved details such as the indoor crane and steel columns have been kept in sight as much as possible.

A Residential Care Center Where People Live Together in Their Own Space

In the Plaatwerkerij, the housing is designed for residents with somatic conditions—people who are chronically ill and will stay in Scheldehof for an extended period. For this group, it’s crucial to design more than just a place to live; it must also be a place to connect and foster social interaction, helping to combat loneliness. Between the apartments, there is a spacious living room area featuring cozy seating, a fireplace, and a communal dining table. The interior design combines warmth and industrial elements: blue steel with a bold aesthetic is paired with soft, wool-upholstered armchairs.

To enhance the sense of home, it’s also essential that residents can truly make their space their own. The apartments are generously sized, offering ample storage for personal belongings. The color palette is kept as neutral as possible, allowing residents to shape the ambiance themselves. Additionally, there is plenty of space in and around the apartments for personal items and artwork.

New Construction: Architecture in the Scale of Vlissingen’s Historic City Center

The psychogeriatric patients—primarily individuals with dementia—are housed in the new building, which also accommodates independent living without care. This mixed setup fosters social interaction and vibrancy within the building. To enhance the iconic character of the Plaatwerkerij, the new construction features contrasting materials with a handcrafted look and feel. The facades incorporate traditional bricklaying techniques, and the dimensions are smaller, echoing the scale of the historic city center. This ensures the new building fits seamlessly into its surroundings in both appearance and scale. As with the original structure, all ground-floor functions are open to the public.

Designing for People with Dementia

To support residents with dementia as much as possible, the psychogeriatric department is designed with an intuitive layout. Each shared home accommodates eight people and is organized like a regular house, with an entrance, a shared living room, a kitchen-dining area, and eight bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. There are six such homes in total, each with its own character.

These six homes are distributed over two floors and centered around a winter garden—a sheltered interior space with an outdoor feel. The winter garden serves as a pathway to the homes, while also functioning as a space where residents can sit in their "front yards" or on their balconies. It offers a safe, green environment for walking and relaxing. All homes are internally connected to service facilities, ensuring convenience and accessibility for residents.

"This Is the Future of Elderly Housing"

After its completion in 2018, Scheldehof was named Care Building of the Year by Architectenweb:

"The spatial and stimulating environment is completely different from what you’d expect in a residential care center," the jury enthused. "The building’s integration into its surroundings, with all these ground-floor facilities, strengthens its connection to the neighborhood and the city. These elderly residents are not tucked away in some green enclave but remain part of urban life. [...] Too often, moving to a care facility feels like a step backward," the jury observed. "But then there’s this… Living in a fantastic historic building, right in the city, with a range of ground-floor amenities accessible to both residents and the public. That last place you live should feel like a celebration, shouldn’t it? And this is!”

Kop van het Dok: From Social Housing to Owner-Occupied Apartments

Following the renovation and expansion of the Plaatwerkerij into the Scheldehof residential care center, atelier PRO also designed the adjacent apartment complex, Kop van het Dok, for WVO Zorg. This project consists of three residential towers, each 17 stories high, atop a three-story plinth. Kop van het Dok, connected to Scheldehof, adds 180 ‘regular’ apartments to the area. These include social housing, mid-market rentals, and owner-occupied homes, some of which are equipped for providing care.

From "Non-Place" to Landmark for Vlissingen

Thanks to the plinth, the towers blend seamlessly into the public space and surrounding lower-scale buildings in Vlissingen’s historic city center. The two outer towers "rise up" from the plinth, while the central—and tallest—tower is set back slightly, creating a varied and dynamic silhouette.

Situated at the head of the historic Dockyard Harbor, the area previously suffered from an uninspiring streetscape dominated by the backs of shops and a mint-green parking garage. With the addition of these new buildings, the drab "non-place" has been transformed. The harbor now has a striking visual terminus that aligns with the scale, history, and character of the former shipyard. At the same time, the towers act as a modern marker for the Dockyard Harbor, their scale complementing the boulevard's high-rises while evoking the industrial skyline of Vlissingen’s shipbuilding past, when ships towered above the old city.

A City for All Ages

The completion of Scheldehof and Kop van het Dok has created an entirely new urban quarter around the historic dockyard, offering a place where all residents of Vlissingen—young and old—can feel at home. The Scheldekwartier features a diverse range of housing options for the elderly, from independent living units to homes for those requiring significant care—all integrated into the heart of the community.
 

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