New Provincial House, Antwerp

The new provincial government building in Antwerp is a compact and sustainable construction with its own unique identity. Solidly built, but with an elegant twisted shape and distinctive triangular windows, the tower stands out against the sky but blends in beautifully with the surrounding greenery. The congress hall, auditorium and foyer are in the base of the building, half below and half above ground, and the office block has been erected on top of this transverse section like a bridge over the roof terrace. This fourteen-storey tower has twisted design that immediately catches the eye. The congress building, designed around a steel frame, has an open floor plan with large column-free spans – just what is needed for the meeting rooms, auditorium and exhibition hall. A graceful yet eye-catching steel staircase connects the different levels. On the fourth and fifth floors of the tower, three steel trusses span the low-rise conference building beneath, whilst the outer trusses are embedded in the concrete and follow the twisted contours of the building.