Fastned Gentbrugge declared Popular Choice winner in 2026 Architizer A+ Awards

The restaurant and shop buildings at Fastned’s flagship fast charging stations at 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. 

The 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 2025 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 the appreciation of meaningful design in the world and champion its potential for a positive impact on 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 what EV fast charging can look like, with fast charging for cars and trucks alongside a restaurant, 24/7 self-service shop, 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 without the use of concrete. 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 unique Solar Tree design was chosen from among 1250 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 our iconic Solar Tree canopies to our growing portfolio of retail facilities and amenities, we are showing that e-mobility infrastructure can be fast, reliable, and beautiful.