Past, present, and future unite in the latest project by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), the new Port Authority headquarters in Antwerp, Belgium. Dubbed the Port House, the newly inaugurated building brings together some 500 employees who previously worked in separate locations around the city and comprises a stately former fire station crowned by a dynamic gleaming new extension. According to ZHA, the decision to build up was inspired by research into the historic firehouse—a 100-year-old replica of a Hanseatic residence—that revealed unrealized plans for a central spire. The new structure, the firm said in a statement, completes “the verticality of the original design’s unrealized tower” and also respects each of its four original exteriors by leaving them uncovered by a neighboring building.
The extension, meanwhile, boasts a glazed-glass façade that, the firm says, “ripples like waves and reflects the changing tones and colors of the sky” and a faceted asymmetrical design that nods to the city’s reputation as the diamond capital of the world. Pointing out toward the Schelde river, the building is a testament to the city’s longtime standing as one of Europe’s largest ports, as well as a reminder of its forward-looking plans for expansion over future generations. “The architectural style of the original building recalls the 16th century, Antwerp’s ‘golden century.’ But now above this original, a contemporary structure in shining glass has been built, which I am sure represents a new golden century for Antwerp,” said Port of Antwerp president Marc Van Peel in a statement.
Among the first projects completed by ZHA since Zaha Hadid’s death in March, the Port House is also hosting an exhibition showcasing selected works by the pioneering Pritzker Prize–winning architect. Organized as a tribute, the career-spanning display features architectural models, design products, video installations, and images and is free to the public. It runs through December 19.
