Antwerp Town Hall • Bureau Bouwtechniek

Architect: HUB, Origin Architecture & Planning with Bureau bouwtechniek
Client: Stadsbestuur Antwerpen
Advisors: Origin (restauration), Daidalos Peutz (acoustics), BAS (stability), RCR (techniques), FPC (fire safety), Germaine Kruip
Location: Antwerpen
Timing: 2015 – 2022
Budget: € 26.000.000
Status: realized

Project support I Collaboration

Winner of the Steel Construction Prize 2023

Restoration and refurbishment of the Antwerp town hall. The city council wants to turn the town hall back into a real 'home of the city'. The ground floor is therefore open to the public and all the aldermen and their cabinets will be under one roof again. The building will also offer more comfort and will be made truly sustainable.

Support for new construction:

reorganisation of the ground floor into a public reception & use area including semi-private office spaces
thorough renovation of the first and second floors: semi-private office spaces (cabinets/meeting rooms)
optimisation of circulation and access to public areas and office functions
optimisation of reception and logistics, fire and safety

As part of the restoration of the town hall various tests were carried out, including visual inspections, photo reports and surveying.

Origin supervises the conservation of and alignment with the heritage values of the building and specifically the restoration of the historic facades, carpentry, roofs, historic reception area, clean floor and central staircase and historic interior carpentry assemblies.

Bureau Bouwtechniek is responsible for the complete construction-technical support of the architectural offices from the tendering phase. BB is responsible for technical assistance during the design process, the layout of the implementation plans, the blueprint of constructional specifications and estimates. BB leads the monitoring of the implementation.

The renovation and restoration of a building with high ambitions in terms of programme, architecture, techniques, sustainability and heritage values is a balancing act that requires special commitment, experience and flexibility from all stakeholders. In this process, it is the role of Bureau Bouwtechniek to guarantee smooth cooperation with both the client and the contractors and the efficient integration of all design ambitions.

BB team: arch. Bert Van den Bergh, arch. Barbara Arts, Glenn Verdyck, Hanne Saels, ing. Martijn Vyncke, ir. arch. Robbe Verelst, ir. arch. Stephanie Van Goethem