Antwerp is Europe’s second largest shipping port, and now the Flemish city has a fitting new architectural landmark to highlight the fact, courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA). The Port House, a masterfully renovated and extended fire station, was designed to bring together under a single roof the Belgian city’s some 500 port authority staff, while referencing in its design some of Antwerp’s key features.
The city’s 12 km of docks handle an impressive 26 per cent of Europe’s container shipping, making Antwerp’s an extremely busy and growing port facility. In 2007, the Port of Antwerp decided to commission a purpose designed building for its technical and administrative offices, which used to be housed in several different locations.