In march, the Port House took home the prize for ‘Best Refurbished Building’ during the prestigious MIPIM Awards 2018 in Cannes. MIPIM is one of the largest property market exhibitions in the world and highlights noteworthy real-estate projects.
The Port House is the seat of the Antwerp Port Authority. In order to create a dynamic workplace for the employees of the Port Authority and a meeting place for the contacts of the Port of Antwerp’s community, the architect Zaha Hadid faced a complex challenge. As such, she needed to integrate an old and protected fire station on the chosen site within the new project. The prize for ‘Best Refurbished Building’ is proof positive that the architects were successful in their task.
The historic fire station is viewed as the beginning of the vast port district. “By fully restoring this station and to integrate it in the ultimate design, the building flawlessly symbolises the ambitious level of the Port of Antwerp, where we daily combine the historic tradition with the daringness to innovate and renew”, explains Marc Van Peel, the alderman of the Port of Antwerp.
Zaha Hadid Architects supplemented the supporting building with a new glass, upper structure that takes the shape of a diamond. In this way, the Port House becomes a new landmark along the Scheldt river of Antwerp and seamlessly bridges the city and the port district. That the building speaks to the imagination is clear: more than 55.000 people annually visit the building.
www.portofantwerp.com
