The Het Steen fortress in Antwerp has won the European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention. The jury of the biennial international architecture prize praised the "well-executed design" of the extension to the medieval fortress. This is despite fierce criticism about the project that initially came from some here in Flanders.
The European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention is awarded jointly by the heritage organisation AHI and the Catalonia Institute of Architects. This year 238 projects were submitted from 24 countries across Europe. Het Steen was selected as the Built Heritage category winner.
Over the years, the fortress that has been Antwerp’s tourist information centre since 2021 has served many different purposes. Its current function is to cater for the cruise ship tourists that arrive at the city’s Scheldt Quays. A previous extension to the fortress that had been built in the 1950s was demolished to create extra additional space. In its place has come a new structure featuring a roof terrace and a tower. This was designed to match the colour and style of the original building
When the new structure was completed in 2021 it met with mixed reactions. There was evening a petition to have it demolished. Critics said that the modern brick extension spoiled the view of the medieval castle.
Balance struck between restoration and demolition
The award’s jury took a very different view to the critics and praise the modern extension at Het Steen for its "well-executed design and careful choice of materials".
"There is a good balance between rigorously restoring the existing structure and choosing to demolish the more recent additions, creating a contemporary extension that enables new uses,” the jury said.
The Antwerp City Alderman responsible for Tourism Koen Kennis told journalists that “First and foremost, Het Steen is a beautiful building with a rich history. Thanks to a major renovation, it has been given an equally impressive new lease of life. We are therefore particularly proud that Het Steen has now won this biennial award. This follows the Immovable Heritage Prize won in 2022."