Experience

ANTWERP | Meir Shopping Street set for major redesign in 2027

Posted by Timothy on

The City of Antwerp is planning a large-scale reconstruction of its most famous shopping street, the Meir. The Council of Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Antwerp approved the ‘selection guidelines’, which means that design teams can now register. 

They will be given the opportunity to make an integrated proposal for the redesign, including a master plan for the various light layers. The selection of five of those design teams will follow this autumn, after which the final team will be chosen in the spring of 2025. 

The reconstruction itself will start at the earliest in the autumn of 2027, in coordination with the surrounding projects.

Time for a revamp

The current state of the shopping boulevard and its outdated sewer system make a complete redesign necessary. This project also offers a unique opportunity to improve visual quality and optimize the use of the store axis.

The Meir.

Assignment

The project includes the reconstruction of the Meir and the two short streets in its extension, the Leysstraat and the Jezusstraat. These are located in the heart of the core shopping area of ​​Antwerp and form the central connection between Antwerp-Central Railway Station and the Scheldt Quays.

The Meir, the largest and most visited shopping street in Antwerp and the surrounding area, plays a crucial role in the Antwerp city centre. 

The aim is to strengthen the Meir as a shopping axis and to design the stately boulevard as a flexible public space where the rich heritage and current needs come together seamlessly with innovative solutions for the future, in a sustainable way. 

The assignment translates into a spatial design with an amplifying light vision, so that the day and night image of the shopping boulevard reinforce each other.

Councilor for Public Domain Erica Caluwaerts (OL-A): “The most famous shopping street in Antwerp is flanked by beautiful architecture and a lot of history. These beautiful buildings are unfortunately currently being lost in the current shopping boulevard where concrete dominates. The need to renew the underground sewerage system also allows us to give the street above ground a thorough makeover. Together with the reconstruction of the Wapper and the Groenplaats, Via Sinjoor is flourishing again as before.”

Design teams

For this assignment, the City of Antwerp is looking for multidisciplinary teams with the right expertise to realize an integrated design. Who not only take into account the day and night image, but also all user needs, and the participatory approach.

Planning and steps

Design teams can now apply based on the selection guideline. This autumn the selection of five teams will follow to draw up a design proposal. The city is currently working on a detailed project definition based on the ambitions and input from stakeholders. 

After approval by the Council of Mayor and Aldermen, the selected teams can start developing their proposal. The final choice will be made in the spring of 2025 based on those competition designs, after which the winning team can realize the effective design. 

The reconstruction itself will start at the earliest in the autumn of 2027, in coordination with the surrounding projects.

On the look of Antwerp