Fastned all-electric service area at Gentbrugge wins Popular Choice award at 2026 Architizer A+ Awards - Gentbrugge - Belgium

The restaurant and shop buildings at Fastned’s flagship fast-charging stations in Gentbrugge North and South have won the Popular Choice award at the Architizer A+Awards, the largest awards program focused on promoting and celebrating the year’s best architecture and spaces.

"Fastned Gentbrugge is about acknowledging the time dimension of what we build. We understand that this awareness, paired with the right material choices, is one of the most meaningful contributions the construction industry can make to our climate challenges. A fully electric building, timber structure with dry connections, sustainable insulation materials, seashells replacing concrete, and soil from excavation reused to shape the landscape around us. These are not mere details; they are choices that say something about how long we intend this place to matter, and about how we envision the future of resting areas - with electric mobility as the centerpiece. Winning the Architizer award tells me that other people see that too." - Rafael Núñez, Fastned Lead Building Engineering

he retail areas were nominated in the ‘sustainable commercial building’ category, alongside 4 other finalists. The People’s Choice award is decided by a public vote, with over 300,000 votes cast during the previous edition. The Architizer A+Awards is the largest awards program focused on promoting and celebrating the year’s best architecture. Its mission is to nurture appreciation for meaningful design worldwide and champion its potential to positively impact everyday life.

Fastned Gentbrugge North and South opened in September 2025 and are Fastned’s largest locations to date. These locations showcase an emissions-free vision of EV fast charging, with fast charging for cars and trucks alongside a restaurant, a 24/7 self-service shop, an outdoor play area, picnic tables, and well-maintained toilets and showers.

The station's design draws on natural materials and sustainable processes throughout. A timber structure and green roof greet drivers on arrival, while large windows maximise natural light, with the facade oriented towards a picnic area and tree line rather than the highway. Soil excavated during groundworks has been repurposed to form sheltering hills around the site, forming a calming environment. In place of a standard concrete ground-floor slab, a layer of seashells provides structural stability. Where concrete is required (such as in the column footings), recycled material is used.

Mechanical systems are fully integrated within the walls, with ventilation delivered through side grills rather than overhead pipework or a dropped ceiling. The result is a clean, unobstructed ceiling that reinforces the sense of space and calm that Fastned's nature-inspired stations are designed to provide - a place where drivers can stop, charge, and feel at ease. This award follows Fastned’s nomination in the 2025 DesignEuropa Industry Awards, where its Solar Tree design was chosen from among 1,250 designs as one of 3 finalists.

Fastned believes highly visible, attractive, and welcoming charging stations are essential to complete the transition to electric mobility. From instantly recognizable Solar Tree canopies to a growing portfolio of retail facilities and amenities, Fastned aims to show that e-mobility infrastructure can be fast, reliable, and beautiful.

Max Boerman, Product Owner Retail Design

"To me, Gentbrugge embodies Fastned's bold and innovative spirit and brings our vision of the future service area to life. Rather than building a pragmatic roadside stop, we set out to create a customer experience fully inspired by nature. Natural materials, greenery, and light define the space, while the building and the charging station share a unified identity, both drawing from the rhythms of nature. Every detail, from accessibility to circular construction, contributes to something that feels less like infrastructure and more like a place for people. This is what the future of travel could look like. Winning the Architizer Award is a wonderful recognition that the care and ambition Fastned puts into design is seen and appreciated by others too."

About Fastned

Fastned's mission is to accelerate the transition to electric mobility. Since 2012, we have been at the forefront of developing charging infrastructure in Europe, building and operating a rapidly growing network of iconic fast-charging stations. Our yellow stations, inspired by nature, offer a welcoming environment for drivers during the 10 to 15 minutes needed to charge up to 300 km of range. By offering the most reliable, convenient, and pleasant charging experience in Europe, we aim to encourage millions of people to drive on solar and wind power so that together, we can curb climate change. Fastned is listed on Euronext Amsterdam (AMS: FAST) and is a certified B Corp.

Photo credit: Fastned - Eva Bloem