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Antwerp

Architecture sights in Antwerp

  1. A

    Centraal Station

    One of the city's premier landmarks is the extraordinary Centraal Station, designed by Louis Delacenserie at the start of the 20th century in a harmonious blend of styles. Steps lead from the main hall with its enormous dome up to the glass-covered train platforms above. The station and adjoining Koningin Astridplein have been undergoing massive works for years to accommodate the Eurostar and Thalys fast trains, thus directly linking the city to London and the rest of Europe. .

    The station is also diamond central, with many shops selling diamonds inside the station, and the Diamond District immediately south-west of it.

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  2. B

    Cogels-Osylei

    This area, about 2km southeast of Centraal Station, is famed for the eclectic architecture found in a handful of streets. The showcase is Cogels-Osylei, a bazaar of all possible house styles. Here the city's affluent citizens went wild a century ago, creating competing and highly contrasting façades ranging in style from Art Nouveau and Flemish baroque to neoclassical and neo-Renaissance. Roofs and towers spiked with onion tops or witches' hats, wrought-iron balconies, bay windows, slate tiles, stained glass and mosaics…you name it, this street's got it.

    Most of the buildings were constructed between 1894 and 1914 and involved many architects. In the 1960s the houses…

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  3. C

    't Bootje

    Although Zurenborg has the city's most dense concentration of Art Nouveau architecture, another fine example can be seen in 't Zuid and is just a short walk from the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten. 't Bootje has a little ship-shaped balcony that is part of a 1901 townhouse called De Vijf Continenten (The Five Continents).

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  4. D

    Help U Zelve

    Help U Zelve is arguably the city's most beautiful and harmonious Art Nouveau façade. Built in 1901 by architects Van Asperen and Van Averbeke, it features mosaics and strongly geometric wrought-iron work. It's now used as a Rudolph Steiner school.

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  5. E

    Twaalf Duivels

    The Twaalf Duivels , built in 1896 by Jules Hofman, has a timber façade that gives way to 12 wooden devils that leer at passers-by.

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  6. F

    Huize Zonnebloem

    An exquisite Art Nouveau example along Cogels-Osylei is the Huize Zonnebloem, built by Jules Hofman in 1900.

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  7. G

    Euterpia

    The Euterpia, from 1906, follows Greek neoclassical lines - the door handle even resembles an Olympic torch.

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  8. H

    De Vier Seizoenen

    Mosaics are at their best at De Vier Seizoenen, designed in 1899 by the architect Bascourt.

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  9. I

    Quinten Matsys

    An exquisite Art Nouveau example along Cogels-Osylei is the Quinten Matsys built in 1904.

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  10. J

    De Morgenster

    An exquisite Art Nouveau example along Cogels-Osylei is the De Morgenster built in 1904.

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  12. K

    Les Mouettes

    Art Nouveau swirls and mosaic façades can be found at Les Mouettes, built in 1905.

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