Experience

One year of reopened Antwerp City Hall

Posted by Timothy on

Antwerp City Hall reopened its doors to the general public on June 18, 2022, after a thorough and successful restoration and renovation. Since its opening, the renovated city hall has received around 65,000 visitors from all over the world. It is an open house for all Antwerp residents, as evidenced by the multitude of diverse events that have already been organized here.

In June 2022, the City Hall reopened its doors to the general public, after a thorough and successful four-year restoration and renovation. The Antwerp city hall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and covers a staggering 1799 m². It is an inspiring workplace for no less than 107 employees of the city and cabinets. Above all, the city hall is an open house for every citizen of Antwerp, with interesting exhibitions, guided tours and all kinds of events.

Mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA): “It is a privilege for me to be able to work every day on the Schoon Verdiep for the people of Antwerp, but since the reopening last year it is also very pleasant that the City Hall can be visited by all Antwerp residents. This beautiful building deserves to be admired by as many people as possible. Our City Hall literally bears the burn marks of the black days of our history, while at the same time telling the story of the happiest and most beautiful moments.”

Visitors from home and abroad

Since its opening, about 65,000 visitors have passed through the threshold of the city hall. ​ 750 guided tours were organized for almost 15,000 visitors from 20 different countries, including neighboring countries the Netherlands and Germany, but also Japan, Canada, the United States, Australia… In addition, more than 50,000 visitors have already visited the Antwerp Tomorrow exhibition and the exhibition about the renovation of visited the city hall.

More information about renting a room and a virtual tour of the city hall can be found at http://www.antwerpen.be/stadhuis.

Tours

Part of the ground floor can be visited freely during opening hours. Those who also want to admire the rest of the building can choose from three guided tours. The tours can be booked individually or as a group. The group tours are offered in different languages.

Interested parties can visit the website https://experienceantwerp.be/nl/locatie/stadhuis-antwerpen/ for more information or registrations.

Leading events

The renovated city hall is an open house for all Antwerp residents and has hosted many leading events since its opening last year: the Urban Walk, DAKkan festival, a deejay set for an international Tomorrowland audience, the opening reception of Antwerp Pride, Urban Trail, the arrival of Sinterklaas, recently the inauguration and celebration of the Royal Antwerp Football Club, … During an official ceremony, 250 new Antwerp residents received their integration certificate in the city hall.

The rooms of the Schoon Verdiep were rented out 18 times to external organizations for various private events.

Renovation and restoration

The famous Schoon Verdiep or Piano Nobile was restored in all its glory, but a lot of work was also done on a ‘Lighted Verdiep‘ on the 2nd floor. This ‘Verlicht Verdiep‘, named after the daylight that enters through large windows, became extra workspace so that many cabinets were given a place in the city hall. On the ground floor, a central entrance hall was created on the side of the Grote Markt.

The renovation project was nominated for the prestigious European AHI Award earlier this month. The international jury praised the prestigious project of the city of Antwerp and called this building campaign a well-considered modernization in which the design team was able to accentuate the old asymmetry of the building while making optimal use of the available space.

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