Antwerp Provincial Government Building
- Heide Wessely
Glass mosaic tiles, triangular fenestration and a compact pivoted building volume with a glazed pavilion thrust through at the base make this new provincial government complex for Flanders quite unique. With its 15 storeys and a height of almost 58 metres, the structure rises far above the urban silhouette of Antwerp, attracting attention to itself from afar. The development is located in a park with extensive planted areas and gently meandering paths. That was not always the case. This seat of government was once situated in a modernistic building complex that occupied the entire site; but its rehabilitation would not have been possible in accordance with present-day sustainability standards. What is more, a further development 71 metres high lay in the flight path to the nearby regional airport. In 2011, therefore, the city drew up a competition for a compact new structure that would meet passive-energy requirements. Additional goals were to create as large a public park as possible in this densely developed inner-city location and to relocate vehicles below ground. A crucial aim, though, was to preserve the singular, glazed pavilion from the 1970s. The new structure above was therefore designed in a bridge-like form, for which powerful steel trussed girders between the lift shafts and in the facades were necessary. At a late stage of the planning, it transpired that the retention of the pavilion was not economically viable. A new concept was not an option, so the clients and architects decided to demolish the existing building and replace it with a filigree, glazed new structure, where key functions of the provincial administration are housed: a convention centre that also serves external uses, and the council chamber with its parabolic layout. On the floors above are offices, where 860 people share 660 workplaces. The fact that there are no personal desks any more means an efficient use of space. The partly public library on the 11th and 12th floors overlooks a panorama of the city, and the extensive terrace on the pavilion roof offers views of the park.
