Two Distinct Yet Connected White Beacons | New Hotel U-Flats and Trinity in Diegem, Belgium

Commissioned by property developer Candor, main contractor Cordeel Temse began constructing two new hotels in Diegem in 2021: U-Flats and Trinity. All concrete elements were produced by the subsidiary C-Concrete. Aalborg White cement CEMI52.5R-SR and CEMI52.5R (SWC white cement produced at Cementir's Sinai plant),were used for the white concrete. Binst Architects designed both buildings, which showcase their connection through white concrete façade elements.

PLAYFUL INTERPLAY OF HORIZONTALITY AND VERTICALITY

The western building, Trinity, is a nine-storey structure with a distinctive grid façade. The deep window edges and detailed relief enhance the grid's rigidity. Staggered windows on each floor add vibrancy to the façade. Trinity features 208 hotel rooms on the upper floors, with supporting functions like a restaurant on the ground floor.

The eastern building, U-Flats, is a seven-storey aparthotel with 160 rooms for short- and medium-term stays. It includes additional amenities like a gym and guest laundry to accommodate longer stays. Robert Osinga, project architect at Binst Architects, notes: "Trinity's design emphasizes verticality, whereas U-Flats highlights horizontality with dark, horizontal lines. The façade, alternating between glass and concrete panels, features a relief that resembles a gracefully draped voile. The use of white concrete creates a fresh, contemporary look that stands out in the area."

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 The three-pronged volume of Trinity.

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U-Flats highlights horizontality with dark, horizontal lines 

CONCRETE SANDWICH PANELS FOR FASTER CONSTRUCTION

Nikolas Schack, Quality & Concrete Supervisor at C-Concrete, stated: "We utilized sandwich concrete panels that were prefabricated for on-site installation. These panels included a structural inner wall made of grey concrete, an insulation layer, and an outer wall of white concrete. This method significantly sped up the construction process but resulted in some elements weighing up to 20 tonnes. The white Aalborg White cement ensured a durable, aesthetic appearance but required meticulous care to avoid contamination during production and storage. The unique shapes of certain panels, featuring large window openings and a profiled finish on the outer walls, added complexity to the project. The profiled panels also provided the advantage of better and faster rainwater drainage. For both hotels, we processed a total of 950 concrete elements, using 750 m³ of white concrete."

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Staggered window openings and flat façade panels in white concrete. 

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Façade panels in white profiled concrete. 

TRANSITION TO CO2 REDUCED WHITE CEMENT

Cementir Group has committed to address the pressing challenges of sustainability and environmental issues over the past few years. They have introduced a new CO2 reduced white cement D-Carb® CEM II/A-LL 52.5R. This cement guarantees a 15% reduction in CO2 compared to Aalborg White CEM I 52.5R. D-Carb® is the first white cement in the market to match a lower-carbon footprint with high performance at early ages. It is available in European markets before being launched globally.  

The first batch of D-Carb has been delivered to the C-Concrete plant. “At C-Concrete, we tested the Aalborg White cement CEM II/A-LL 52.5R and found that the processability is good, it has a nice warm white color, and it is perfect for durable construction. So far, everything is running smoothly. We are still in the testing phase and look forward to assessing the compressive strength both after 1 day and 28 days,” commented Nikolas Schack, Quality & Concrete Supervisor at C-Concrete.