“The building is an example of how you can use the available space creatively in an urban environment.”

Griet Terryn, Inagro

Design:

Rooftop glasshouse Agrotopia

Innovation on existing building (BE)

Place	Roeselare, Belgium
Realisation	Construction in 2019, opening in 2020
Surface	9.500 m²
Architect	Van Bergen Kolpa Architects & Meta Architects
Type	Venlo
Purpose	Research and exhibition on vegetable cultivation, through which the Flemish Research Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture Inagro further strengthens its ties with the logistics sector and consumers.

Construction takes place in phases

Together with main contractor Peab, we started the first phase of construction in the autumn of 2024. During this phase, the botanical greenhouse and part of the greenhouses will be built. After completion, the special plants will be moved here, after which the old greenhouses will be demolished. The final phase, the construction of the remaining greenhouses, will then commence.

Innovative design example for the future

The design team, which includes our company as well as Van Bergen Kolpa Architects, Meta Architects, Wageningen UR and Technum Engineers, has won the design competition for this food research centre in Roeselare. Our innovative design will serve as an example for future food production in the city, intensive use of space, circular energy and water use, and making greenhouse horticulture more sustainable.

Realised on the roof of the auction

The building is realised on the roof of the REO fruit and vegetable auction, the food logistics heart of West Flanders.

Four different climate zones in 9,500 m²

The 9,500 m² building houses high-tech research facilities for growing fruit and leafy vegetables, surrounded by an educational route for the general public.

In four different climate zones, visitors can experience the cultivation of tomatoes and lettuce, as well as peppers and strawberries. The entrance with its wide staircase leads to the Urban Horticulture Square with visitor facilities. The so-called Gevelserre on the ring road houses a double-height greenhouse for innovation in vertical cultivation. The base of the Gevelserre is used to collect rainwater, which is purified by a reed filter before being used as waste water.

Urban horticulture on rooftops

The architecture consists of a slender greenhouse structure that stands out against the sky and rests on the concrete base of the auction hall. With spectacular views of the surrounding area and the city, urban horticulture on industrial rooftops will occupy a prominent place in the Roeselare skyline.

Winner of prestigious design awards

Construction will start in early 2019 and the building will open its doors to growers, researchers and the general public on 24 September. Since its opening, Agrotopia has won several prestigious design awards, such as the BTTV, WAF and the Belgian Construction Award.