{"id":3279,"date":"2026-02-24T13:34:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T13:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/3279\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T13:34:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T13:34:29","slug":"studio-libeskind-to-add-glass-crown-to-art-deco-antwerp-skyscraper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/3279\/","title":{"rendered":"Studio Libeskind to add glass crown to art deco Antwerp skyscraper"},"content":{"rendered":"

Architecture firm Studio Libeskind<\/a> has unveiled updated plans to restore and convert Antwerp’s Boerentoren skyscraper<\/a> into a cultural venue, which will be crowned with a glass observation deck.<\/p>\n

Designed for The Phoebus Foundation<\/a>, the proposal by Studio Libeskind<\/a> and local studio ELD<\/a> reimagines the office high-rise as “a dynamic public space that celebrates heritage, contemporary art and panoramic city views”.<\/p>\n

The latest plans are dramatically pared back from the original, angular proposal revealed by the studio in 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"RenderStudio Libeskind has unveiled designs of the Boerentoren office conversion in Antwerp<\/p>\n

Recognised as a city landmark, the Boerentoren office, also known as the KBC tower, was originally built in 1932 and was Antwerp’s second-tallest structure until 2019.<\/p>\n

Paying homage to the building’s legacy, Studio Libeskind’s intervention will largely retain the office’s exterior, while its interior will be rearranged to accommodate new cultural spaces.<\/p>\n

Its existing art-deco structure, which sits on a triangular plan, will be paired with glass additions.<\/p>\n

\"ObservationA glass observation deck will crown the tower<\/p>\n

“At the heart of the project is the belief that the building’s future must be shaped by its past,” studio founder Daniel Libeskind said.<\/p>\n

“The new design is wholly informed by the existing structure: its triangular plan, structural grids, facades, and materials.”<\/p>\n

“This architectural heritage is not overwritten but embraced\u2014each layer of time forming part of a new architectural tapestry,” he added.<\/p>\n

\"InteriorElevators will carry visitors up to the viewing platform. Render courtesy of Studio Libeskind<\/p>\n

Externally, two external elevators will run up the outside of the building to carry visitors up to a top-floor viewing platform.<\/p>\n

Renders of the space reveal expansive glass openings that will wrap around the tower’s form and be finished with decorative steel elements.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Fan<\/p>\n

Studio Libeskind unveils mixed-use building with angular plant-covered facades in Paris\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

On the lower building, a second glazed volume will follow the existing triangular structure and be topped with a raised public garden overlooking the city.<\/p>\n

The garden, which will connect to the tower and its elevators, will be complete with angular planters and paths.<\/p>\n

A large triangular skylight will centre the garden, drawing light into a lofty atrium below.<\/p>\n

\"AtriumThe interior will accommodate exhibition space. Render courtesy of Studio Libeskind<\/p>\n

Inside, the atrium will serve as the heart of the building housing exhibitions and cultural events, which will be overlooked by internal openings of the tower’s upper floors.<\/p>\n

Other spaces will include the Tower Living Room, which has been designed as a “museum-like space open to all”.<\/p>\n

\"InteriorA large skylight will draw light into the atrium. Render courtesy of Studio Libeskind<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, the studio has unveiled plans for a mixed-use building with angular plant-covered facades in Paris<\/a> and completed a social housing development that feels “like home” in Brookyln<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The renders are courtesy of Norviska<\/a> unless otherwise stated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Architecture firm Studio Libeskind has unveiled updated plans to restore and convert Antwerp’s Boerentoren skyscraper into a cultural…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3280,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[6],"tags":[19,7,2761,2762,2760,892,893,894,2763,2759,1136],"class_list":["post-3279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-antwerp","tag-antwerp","tag-belgium","tag-cultural-buildings","tag-high-rise-buildings","tag-renovations","tag-sectionall","tag-sectionarchitecture","tag-sectionhighlights","tag-sectionnews","tag-skyscrapers","tag-studio-libeskind"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3279"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3279\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}