Fastned Gentbrugge nominated for Architizer A+Award: cast your vote!
The shop and restaurant at Fastned’s flagship fast charging stations at Gentbrugge have been nominated at the Architizer A+Awards, the largest awards program focused on promoting and celebrating the year’s best architecture and spaces.
Fastned Gentbrugge North and South opened in September 2025 and are our 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 retail areas (meaning the shop and restaurant) have been nominated in the ‘sustainable commercial building’ category, alongside 4 other finalists. One winner will be determined by a distinguished jury, and the other will be chosen by a public vote with winners to be announced in June 2026. Last year over 300,000 votes were cast for the Public Choice Award.
We asked Max Boerman, Product Owner Retail Design, to tell us what makes Fastned Gentbrugge’s shop and restaurant so special.
Hi Max, congratulations to you and your team on the nomination! What is so unique about Fastned Gentbrugge, and what makes its shop and restaurant stand out?
Think of a typical highway stop: it’s dark, cramped, full of advertisements and maybe not smelling great. Then step into Fastned Gentbrugge - the difference is enormous.
Every element used is inspired by nature: the timber structure and green roof that you see the moment you arrive, the large windows that bring natural light into the interior, and the greenery that surrounds the building. The facade opens towards the picnic area and the trees rather than the highway - and we even reused the soil from the groundworks to create sheltering hills around the site. These aren't just aesthetic choices. They're about giving people a genuinely calm, welcoming place to stop and charge, in a place you actually want to be.
The Architizer A+Awards nomination is in the ‘sustainable commercial building’ category. How have you made Gentbrugge sustainable?
From the start, we wanted to push sustainability beyond what's standard. The whole site operates with zero emissions, but we wanted to find new ways to innovate in design and construction. I’m especially proud of what we did to reduce our use of concrete in construction. Instead of a standard concrete slab on the ground floor - which most timber buildings use - we used a layer of seashells to achieve stability without any concrete at all. Where we do use concrete, for example in the column footings, it’s recycled.
At every stage, we are selective about who we work with and we choose the best partners and contractors to find solutions that go well beyond what is standard, and really find new ways to build beautifully and sustainably.
We often speak about our nature-inspired and human-centric design - can you show us an example of this inside the building?
Just look up! Most retail areas have big air conditioning pipes hanging overhead, or a fake ceiling to hide all the equipment. We wanted to avoid this industrial, cold feel to the building, so we built everything within the walls, with ventilation grills blowing air in from the sides. It adds some complexity to the structure, but the result is a clean, calm ceiling that enhances the feeling of space and relaxation.
Ten air conditioning units overhead would have completely destroyed that feeling of being surrounded by nature, and made it just another retail space. We want to do better than that: bring that spacious human touch that really makes buildings feel special.
What does a project like Gentbrugge mean for the future of Fastned retail?
Gentbrugge is a flagship: an ambitious vision to show what’s possible. We can’t replicate this everywhere because most sites aren’t as big as these ones!
We’re rolling out smaller modular retail facilities, keeping what matters most: the human-centric approach and the nature-inspired feel. All the learnings from Gentbrugge carried forward into something we can begin to scale more widely, but that still feels special when you walk in.
So does that mean we will we see more shops and restaurants across Fastned's network?
Definitely. Fast charging is our core business and always will be. But we want customers to know that when they come to Fastned, there's a good place to rest, use the toilets, and get a decent coffee. If there's something nearby already, that’s great - but if there's nothing, we'll provide it.
Maybe that will be a full shop and restaurant like Gentbrugge, or maybe a smaller self-service kiosk with good coffee, snacks and a clean toilet. We want every driver to know that whenever you stop at Fastned, your needs are taken care of.
What is the impact of architecture and design on Fastned's mission to accelerate the transition to electric mobility?
I hope Gentbrugge shows people what the charging experience can actually be: calm, pleasant, in a beautiful location where people want to spend time. We’ve even seen people driving combustion engine cars stopping here, just because they loved the feeling of the place. We don’t sell petrol, so these drivers are coming just to spend time in a place they like. That shows the impact we can have.
Design and architecture have a real role to play in making the transition accessible to everyone, and showing people that going electric isn't a compromise. It can mean a genuinely better experience, good for people and good for the planet.
How can people learn more?
There’s more about our nomination here and you can read all about Fastned Gentbrugge in this article.
And of course - don’t forget to vote for Gentbrugge to win in the sustainable commercial building category at the Architizer website until May 15 - we'd really appreciate your support!
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.
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.