Rubens House - A portico with an umbrella

The Rubens House in Antwerp was designed by Pieter-Paul Rubens early in the 17th century and is now in use as a museum. Over the years, the house’s portico – one of the two original elements and a protected heritage site – has been affected by stone erosion and weathering. To preserve the portico and protect the structure from future impacts, a discreet canopy was installed above it. This glass butterfly canopy is 15.6 metres long and weighs 30 tonnes. Its underlying structure comprises three bays made of bead-blasted stainless steel, which were positioned on the 12 metre high portico using a crane. After the bays were installed, they were anchored to the columns of the porch and then filled with lead to give the canopy the necessary strength and wind resistance. The structure features custom-made plinths for the statues, and the laminated glass sheets are clamped between unique stainless steel clamping profiles.