Zaha Hadid to design new Antwerp Port House


Zaha Hadid architects
 has won a competition for the port house – headquarters of Antwerp Port Authority (APA), Antwerp, Belgium. The new port house design consists of two entities: the existing fire station and a new crystalline volume lifted above the retained building. Together they form a new landmark as the headquarters of the Antwerp port authority, overlooking the city and port.

The choice of architect was made at the Port Authority board meeting on 13 January. The new Port House will occupy the site of the technical services building on quay 63.

The building will house approximately 500 staff; the refurbished, existing building will house public counters, offices and meeting rooms, while the five-storey extension will comprise an auditorium and restaurant, as well as additional offices and meeting rooms.

In addition to offering better accommodation, the future Port House will contribute to further development and upgrading of the part of the city known as Het Eilandje. The brief for the new building specified that it had to symbolise the Port of Antwerp as a world port and economic driver of Flanders and the Antwerp area. It also had to be built according to the principles of sustainability.

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