211The project has the look of an oversized space helmet from an old-fashioned
science fiction comic. In this figure—a cross between a sphere and a cone, accord-
ing to Koolhaas—all the parts of the program are incorporated on the basis of a hor-
izontal stratification with a vertical segmentation superimposed (figure 97). The
lower levels are entirely reserved for vehicles: two floors for loading and unloading,
another for pedestrian access with two floors of parking in an ascending spiral above
it (figure 98). These end up in a floor with facilities for truck drivers. Then comes an
open mezzanine level that is two stories high with a public hall that can be reached
directly from the access floor by escalator (figure 99). On all sides, one has a view of
the sea and the bustle of the docks (figure 100). Above this high-ceilinged hall with
its central void is a floor with the facilities that forms the transition to the upper half
situated under the glass dome. The segmentation in this upper half has a vertical
logic—the space is divided into a trapezium-shaped office building, a hotel that is
arranged in a semicircle against the outside wall of the helmet, and exhibition and
promotion areas that occupy the intermediate areas. These areas in particular, with
their play of sloping levels, voids, and peepholes, offer spectacular views both within
the building and outside. The casino and the conference rooms required in the pro-
gram are situated under the gigantic dome while the office building has a swimming
pool on the roof (figure 101). These areas are laid out under the dome in such a way210
96Office for Metropolitan
Architecture, project for a
Sea Terminal in Zeebrugge,
site plan with inserted
Tower of Babel.