September 26 - The Antwerp skyline has been changed with the inauguration of the city's new port house.
Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the new port house - a repurposed fire station located on Mexico Island at Kattendijk dock on Quay 63 - will bring together the Port of Antwerp's 500 staff that previously worked in separate buildings around the city.
Marc Van Peel, president of the Port of Antwerp, said: "There was only one rule laid down in the architectural competition, namely that the original building had to be preserved."
The spectacular port house is constructed from 2,000 triangular glass panels and cost USD62 million to develop. Like the bow of a ship, the new extension points towards the Scheldt, connecting the building with the river on which Antwerp was founded.
