Why They Had to Build OVER This Old Building

[@frankwilliamabagnale3303]

Your content quality is going through the roof with this one, so to speak.

[@shawtop]

👌🏼

[@bill9540]

I almost didn’t Catch your comment☺️

[@philrabe910]

On another level?

[@krisstopher8259]

i strongly agree

[@e1123581321345589144]

yes, this channel certainly stands above most others

[@Malfoy1594]

It looks stunning... on its own... But I loathe when new futuristic designs completely overshadow a stunning historical building. They 'protected it' just to completely build on top of it, there is no cohesion.

[@dedasdude]

my thoughts exactly. Could have blended in a bit nicely... it just looks like someone just put one building on top of another.

[@1nf3ct3dTT]

@@dedasdude office building glitched into the historical one lol

[@xZyrux]

Yep they should have destroyed the shitshack beneath this masterpiece.

[@Malfoy1594]

@@dedasdude with almost no functionality... Instead of just restoring the firehouse into offices... If the Pandemic taught us anything is, we don't need to overbuild cities to build more and more offices. It's now a defunct practice.

[@coipoboy]

I gotta be honest it looks owfull almost all new buildings are just well glass in x chape. That is just a lunp of glass added to a beautifill clasic building. In sure its a great feat of engineeing and all but. Man all modern architecture looks the same. And everyone pats each other in the back claiming the most modern most fluuid cube of glass and concrete ever created.

[@daelster]

There's nothing "perfectly blended" about these two different styles of architecture, not even through contrast--they just clash, and if that's the point, then that's an ugly point. Though the design is obnoxious, it is still an engineering marvel, and construction marvel, so kudos to the team that pulled that off.

[@christopherbedford9897]

Yeah I was about to post that I don't think it's anywhere near as "beautiful" as everyone seems to think it is. It reminds me of Prince Charles' remarks all those decades ago about a carbuncle on the face of a dear old friend. Go anywhere you like in the world and you will find where architects have done their level best to build monuments to themselves. Yeah, some of this woman's designs don't look so bad, but this? Monumental? Certainly. Nice? Naah.

[@Ekam-Sat]

It's an eye sore for every person of Antwerp.

[@ludosys4903]

Truly very impressive from the outside, less from the inside though. I had - job related - many meetings in the building and it stroke me every time how marvellous it looks from the outside as a real landmark for the city, but how claustrophobic it feels from the inside. A lot of meeting rooms have barely any natural light. The board room on the upper floor however has stunning views over the port of Antwerp.

[@H3liosphan]

Yeah, see that's where for such an expensive piece of engineering, why did practicality just fall by the wayside? As far as I'm concerned, practicality should be #1 in the design, attractiveness is entirely subjective and secondary to the functionality -without that you might as well tear it down.

[@JohnFromAccounting]

​@@H3liosphan Ego project. It was never meant to be sensible or useful. It will be gone in 60 years.

[@whyisgamora4191]

@@JohnFromAccounting You think they'll neglect an actively used office building that costed 60 million euros to construct? I'm not saying that this building was a great decision but it did do what it needed to: create extra office space for 500 extra employees. And it gave Antwerp's officials another monument to boast with. It will not be gone in 60 years.

[@churblefurbles]

@@whyisgamora4191 They dont' have children, why would they care about a future. Expensive to maintain are eventually abandoned.

[@rowaystarco]

That being said, I don't mind meeting rooms being a bit depressing. Most meetings should be as short as possible as long meetings usually only waste time. The work spaces however, they should have as much natural light as possible!

[@chikken_soup]

I agree it looks more like a show piece than a functional office space

[@x1achilles99]

But what a showpiece.

[@abcod3300]

architecture is not all abt functional space. Its an artform

[@robotnoir5299]

@@abcod3300 Not since post-modernism, has architecture been an art-form. "Form follows function" results in abominations 100% of the time. Modern architecture is just a bunch of losers, lazily slapping together basic wire-frame models. The architecture in Quake2 is better than anything real architects have designed" for half a century.

[@lipslide101]

As an Antwerp resident and someone who worked in this very building, I am really happy you made a video about this. I know that it's not the most well-loved building in the city but it certainly was very ambitious and the result is very impressive, regardless of what one might think of it.

[@JohnFromAccounting]

But if any time someone talks about the building, the reaction is muted at best, isn't the project a failure?

[@lipslide101]

@@JohnFromAccounting I don't know if it would be considered a failure since the building is serving its purpose as an office building that is actively being used. However, speaking about its design, one can certainly call it a failure but at the end of the day it's a subjective matter so who knows

[@JohnFromAccounting]

​​@@lipslide101 Think of the new BMWs. No matter how good the performance is, all anyone ever talks about is how ugly the design is. The supposed qualities are completely overshadowed by a catastrophic failure of design. The same for this building. But its not even an effective office building because the interior was compromised to achieve the geometry. A failure on both counts.

[@PeterR0035]

Same here, I'm from Antwerp. This building and the new 'sail ships alike Antwerp admin building' never really got the Antwerp/Belgium population really warm. I guess it was more a prestige kind of thing than anything else. It might also be the neighbourhood; this building, het Mas, admin sailing ships building are all builld in some very remote area that also was on the brink of being deserted/run down.

[@SeanMTuohy]

@Meir My question is what is the courtyard like when it rains? How do they manage the runoff from the roof of the building above? Is there a concern about erosion of the courtyard below and streams of water falling on people?

[@MrMattie725]

As a Belgian engineer I like the construction! As a Belgian architect I don't really like how it 'overpowers' the heritage. Also, it feels kind of weird to see multiple buildings I've been to today on the definitive channel for construction that same evening :D

[@PSP92262]

Of course you don't see how it overpowers the original building, architecture school today brainwashes you to love ugliness over beauty.

[@CasaManNL]

To me it visualizes the arrogance of an architect and the lack of pushback from the civil servants

[@mbrackeva]

My thoughts at first. It takes a little bit to understand. But since I work in the harbour and see the building from my office I can now safely say it's amazing and it portrays all that makes the city great. Anyway who's not from Antwerp and doesn't understand: we don't care, it' not your building!

[@ivangamer8022]

1/3 of Anwerp population are north african and arabs. If only those people were living in their countrys Belgium would not need to destroy it's beautiful architechture

[@thechillpanda2145]

Just wait till it gets hot in less than 10 years Idiot never felt 114 degrees outside

[@MrMakeDo]

I don’t understand why they keep saying there wasn’t room to build around it where there are clearly vast open areas surrounding the building that could have been used instead of completely changing how the building looked. The appearance of the fire house has been completely altered by the presence of the new building so even though technically they’ve preserved it, they haven’t. They may as well have demolished it and started over.

[@LittleMissSmallPaw]

I do get your point but keep in mind you can't just expand your house on your neighbours lawn just because there's enough space over there.

[@larssalembier7790]

@@LittleMissSmallPaw the client here is the Port of Antwerp, I'm pretty sure they own all the space around that building too.

[@ericwright1840]

I was thinking 🤔 the same thing myself.

[@joshbrown2217]

@@larssalembier7790 I think it's more how the surrounding area would impact the look of the building. Although building ontop also changes the look of the building, by completely engulfing the building, it hides it from the public and probably infringes upon some of the cultural heritage status. While by building above it is what most likely doesn't infringe upon that status (probably because no one though that would be an option).

[@larssalembier7790]

@@joshbrown2217 no one noticed how they had to destroy a beautiful bell tower to build that monstrosity either. It's where they put the elevator shaft.

[@alimanski7941]

Re: the lacking interior design: The question becomes if star architects are designing extravagant buildings for themselves as an exercise in fame, or for their clients and their needs.

[@JohnFromAccounting]

Classical buildings have an obviously structure to them. Rectangular, and practical. The needs of the client are met, while also adding embellishments and stylistic elements to the exterior to give it character. Some buildings even tell stories on their exterior. If a classical architect went on an ego trip to make a less than efficient structure, they would be out of a job straight away.

[@guidoferri8683]

To be fair, the client is partially responsible on the end result too, it's not that she could do everything she wanted

[@oovdash]

@@JohnFromAccounting structure, structure, structure. As if economy of construction is all that matters to a design of a building. All those descriptions you listed of the perfect classical building are all fulfilled (save the stylistic tack on features like ornamentation) by the generic, one-storey warehouses that surround the firehouse. Those rectangular buildings have been optimized by the structural engineer to be as cheap and easy to build as possible. Don’t see the client building any of those for their office expansion. Also those buildings have an expiry date to them, materially and operationally. Easy to build, even easier to rip down.

[@joedowning2428]

​@@oovdash if you've ever worked in practice, you'd know that measures are usually taken to respect the surrounding architecture (sometimes these are planning conditions). Measures should've been taken in particular for this older building. Port house in itself is the embodiment of excess, wastefulness and uncreative design

[@oovdash]

@@joedowning2428 the surrounding context are 1-storey warehouses constructed in the past 4 decades, not an urban European city center. The anomaly are the two historical buildings which obviously have preservation protections. The design brief was obviously to create an icon that stands out from the rest.

[@Itsmarkyoung]

This is a genuine question, there seems to be a very large courtyard of empty space right next to the historic building, why did they not just build on this plot of land with a more simple design? It’s interesting that this was constructed directly on top of a building seemingly surrounded by so much empty space, as if it was the “only option”

[@scronchman0146]

The reason is quite simple, these kinds of additions to old buildings are made to shit on our heritage. Everything that is beautiful must be torn down or covered up with some steel abomination

[@teundilles]

Good question. At the time of construction a giant bridge over the river was being in the planning phase. One of the reasons this construction was chosen is that it would still be visible when a large bridge would lay next to it. The bridge is now scrapped and a tunnel is currently being made, but that wasn't clear at the time this project was planned and realised.

[@Itsmarkyoung]

@@teundilles thanks for the info!

[@UwHoogheid]

There were competing designs just like that. For some reason they chose this

[@mbrackeva]

You don't get the story, because all you saw was a 11 minute video. I see the building from my work desk. I had the same idea at first as you. But the building now tells a story about the city. It's a landmark and a symbol. It's important for people from Antwerp, where I've been living all my life.

[@iliansalessegarra3424]

I'm studying architectural engineering in Ghent, Belgium and one of my professors actually helped work on this building. It's so amazing to see it featured here on a channel I adore! Belgium doesn't get a lot of attention most of the time

[@johnnykapiszony56]

because it is a dull bureaucratic hell hole

[@Dac_DT_MKD]

I've been to Belgium many times, and Ghent is one of my favorite Belgium cities. I just love it. My Uncle was born in Ghent. Cheers, from Macedonia.

[@mho...]

Germany gave Belgium alot of attention, but they didnt like it 🙋‍♂🙋🙋‍♀

[@DashedSimpusMaximus]

Please don't ruin old architecture with "new" architecture.. retain the old aesthetic & intent..

[@johnwt7333]

Belgium (sighs) - Netherlands

[@scottydude456]

Architect: “so it’s somewhat of a unique design, do you think you can pull this one off?” Engineer, holding back tears: “yes.”

[@ivangamer8022]

1/3 of Anwerp population are north african and arabs. If only those people were living in their countrys Belgium would not need to destroy it's beautiful architechture

[@laxfich_gecko]

Exactly. I'm a structural engineer and I could sing you a song, no a whole opera about it. Then when you 'pulled it off' (YES THAT MEANS YOUR DESIGN IS WASTEFUL MRS HONORABLE ARCHITECT), you get some emails with 'minor' changes or 'new' (delayed) infos about the needed fireproofing, or soundproofing or whatever regulations are new today and it becomes even more complicated. this usually continues until AFTER the building is completed. Often when you open your email program and spot some architect emails, you feel like prometheus when he sees the eagle coming over. oh-boy. also this building is an abomination and stands for everything that is wrong in this world

[@shadowmistress999]

@@ivangamer8022 do they not contribute to your Anwerp society at all? like they smoke, drink, and do drugs all day? not laying bricks for your beautiful buildings or cleaning the streets at all?

[@jhonjhonson5787]

@@shadowmistress999 they do more harm than good, their culture and religion isn’t compatible with that of the native people. Every race has their own countries, why can’t White people?

[@williansouza8724]

@@shadowmistress999 that clown wants attention, don’t give it to him.

[@matt007]

Looks like they placed a giant, glass, shit sculpture on top of the old building.

[@Cornholio_X]

This project was nice to work this complex building. I work in a steel construction that has builded this project. I'm one of the welder and yes, i did weld alot of it.

[@LukeAps]

Good work! I'm sorry you had to work on this ugly structure.

[@belgianfsgamer]

As someone who lives and grew up in Antwerp I am proud that Antwerp is covered in a B1M video and especially with a building where my grandfather used to have an office in before his retirement ( he had an office on the 3rd floor of the firehouse)

[@angelnight167]

It's really sad that whenever a megastructure is formed, they only honor the architects but say nothing about how hard the structural engineers have calculated.

[@_symmetry_]

From an engineering perspective, it's really impressive. From an architectural perspective, it's an atrocious exercise of pure insanity.

[@rickinielsen1]

Two interesting and good looking buildings... that does not at ALL complement each other...

[@smb6995]

Ye, Zaha Hadid generally didn't build shit but that's the odd one out 😒

[@komnenos3633]

Heritage protection should include people building monstrosities that don't blend with original architecture of the building on top of it or into it. This reminds me of the Royal Ontario Museum which is a similar assault on a existing building.

[@jamiepiersefarrell565]

She really took a shit on this old European building, although the more I look at it the more I appreciate its boldness

[@diegorhoenisch62]

And yet I disagree completely. Does that make me wrong, or is this indeed a matter of taste? De gustibus non est disputandum. Cheers, Alan Tomlinson

[@PaulCarmona]

Looks like a giant billboard on a beautiful old building.

[@JettMoress]

The architect's version of "too preoccupied if they could rather than they should".

[@pisse3000]

That's 90% of modern architecture

[@dimitristsekeris1821]

Very original comment.

[@pjfesharaki8645]

@@pisse3000 90% of modern architecture is banal glass boxes where I live

[@Ekam-Sat]

Exactly.

[@drewshoto9450]

your content is out standing B1M . I will forever be in your view on youtube . I went form a person who liked city hall clock towers to now obsessed with Skyscrapers and Mega scale construction .

[@georgelmatt]

I was never a fan of how this building looks. The stark contrast is just too extreme for me. I can totally respect the design philosophy but it doesn't align with my personal tastes. This video has made me respect it more though, very insightful into the design process and the ideas being pursued so that it can work and bare it's physical form as it does.

[@Rainer1991]

Next up, a video about how they're planning to change the whole Antwerp skyline by basically doing the exact same old/new architecture with the "Boerentoren" one of the few tall buildings in the city. Once again, nobody is happy with what they're planning to do with that tower.

[@Ekam-Sat]

Let's hope we don't turn into Dubai. It's really terrible how they allow those new buildings to overpower the beautiful old buildings.

[@dryroasted5599]

4:40 "The challenge lies in the structural design." No, the challenge lies in letting an architect with no concept of mechanics draw something whimsical, and then giving it to engineers to fix.

[@tomedward8652]

This should be top comment :)

[@thealaris]

🤓

This is true, but I’d imagine the engineers involved are generally happy for the challenge. Sure, there are some really tough cases where the engineers just want to walk away from or scream at the architects for, but surely there are many others where there challenges keep the job interesting. I am not a building engineer, so if anyone is then I’d appreciate some perspective here.

[@calholli]

Yeah, that's what I said. It looks like a child designed it. lol.

[@TheBestEverEverEver]

“Modern architecture” is really just a draw something cool and we’ll build it despite its unpracticality contest.

[@ellitheus4981]

I'm a STEM student that is looking to study Civil Engineering. And I would say your content is amazing!

[@Auscan_Octrice]

Alright this is something that I feel needs to be said- the building underneath is not “incorporated” into this build, it’s covered up and is hidden in the buildings shadow, this is an eye sore on top of a building nothing should’ve been built on top of.

[@egnazia]

Respectfully l disagree

[@zsoltszalanczi4508]

Exactly, I agree!

[@Wovi10]

This is the case with all the flyovers that are shown and from one side. But if you look at it as most people would see it (from the streets next to it), it actually doesn't cover up anything.

[@JohnFromAccounting]

If the goal was preservation, they have made an abomination.

[@mepatton]

It's horrid. There is nothing human, inviting, or pleasant about it.

[@jlfilip]

Here is idea for another video - can you maybe do video about a dam between Italy and Albania. It would close off Adriatic sea, could work as bridge and it could maintaining sea level keeping all coast cities safe(Venice, Dubrovnik, Bari, Vlora, etc)

[@tjendenys5028]

Quick tip if you want some more content on BIG infrastructure. Right now in Antwerp there is a massive construction project under way called Oosterweel. They're completing the ring road with a new tunnel across the river Scheldt. A bunch of new interchanges, bike routes, and a lot of juicy controversy!

[@JohnSmith-oh9ux]

Right now? They been at it for more than 5 years already lmao and nowhere close finish.

[@TheUsername1302]

I pass by it every single day. Even if people say it clashes too much, I think it is amazing

[@eliasverledens2809]

You should also make a video about the covering of the ring of Antwerp. It is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the whole of Europe and will have an immense positive impact on people living in the city and fix the massive congestion problems.

[@hendman4083]

Just one more lane bro, trust me it will fix traffic.

[@VincentPeerlinck]

​@@hendman4083 Meh. it's not just one more lane. They are finishing the ring road.

[@hendman4083]

@@VincentPeerlinck I guess the plan is to reroute through-traffic around the city, to take the pressure of the roads in the city? If so, the reduced congestion in the city will create "induced demand", and in 6 months to a year the inner city congestion levels will be back to the current situation.

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

I think making buildings taller is definitely a good idea but something like this looks really out of place, you couldn’t really repeat this design except as a single set piece building. I think more buildings should be enlarged and made taller, so the new construction can blend in with the earlier structure but allow significantly more people.

[@erikvoitus7488]

I understand the extent of the exterior lighting for the new part of the port house, but given that the old building also looks majestic in its own way I think that too deserves exterior lighting. I mean is that concrete column realy more important and marvelous then the old fire brigade building?💡💡💡

[@thegoldengatesound]

More on the installation of the piers/piles, and how the tie beam was installed would have been interesting. Crane lifting the floors into place is a bit repetitive but the underpinning work is different

[@RoyDisneyBellinger]

Disgusting, I’d rather cities just not expand, there must something better than more soulless metal and glass boxes.

[@mfkf42]

there is a similar building in Budapest called the "whale" at the bank of the Danube river. While it is not built on top, but in between old warehouses and the top arches over, this reminded me of that

[@zunkman1]

Others may disagree, and that's fine, but I think that is the ugliest building ever built. It's great architecture, great engineering, but ugly as can be.

[@julianmx13]

Park 432 has entered the chat

[@PeterPing]

An an architect, I agreed. This is just disrespectful to historical building.

[@JohnFromAccounting]

It adds nothing positive.

[@TOXWORKS]

A stiletto shoe on top a past century building. Talk about stepping on tradition right there

[@maximbollansee]

What a grea video! I live really really close to the port house of Antwerp. I think it looks most beautiful on a misty morning of evening, when the buildings surrounding it are less visible and thisone sticking out with it's beautiful lighting. Looking like a brigt diamond and almost outworldly! ❤

[@DanteTimberwolf]

My god that thing is an absolute eyesore

[@michaelglynn7010]

Agreed the building underneath it is beautiful

[@wyattthompson6048]

Souless, no beauty, a mockery of the more careful and nurturing past that brought us into this life.

[@Maxime_K-G]

Finally B1M makes a video about the havenhuis!

[@martincito1662]

I’m not sure about these approaches in architecture because you are changing the face of a historical building forever

[@PeterPing]

What a way to disrespect the historical building.

[@andrewreynolds912]

Well, not really building over them prevents them being torn down, not to mention its hard to find.more space

[@Draxis32]

A similar feat has happened in Sao Paulo, Brazil. One mansion was deemed irreplaceable and couldn't be demolished. The developers dug around the mansion and literally lifted the mansion up from it's foundations! And built an enormous Hotel/Spa/Apartment around it.

[@mikehollants]

Aw man! So happy to see my city finally featured! For someone who equally loves historical and futuristic architecture, I seriously want more of this.

[@PhilipMurphy8Extra]

The B1M content quality is excellent at the moment for sure.

[@naynay-fi7iv]

Love Zaha Hadid and went to check out this building a couple of years ago. It was absolutely breath taking! The juxtaposition between the original firehouse and the new offices is so incredibly fascinating and the way the water reflects off the glass is simply hypnotic. I also walked to Antwerp Port so seeing the building come into view from a far is an absolute must see.

[@ligmasack9038]

EVERYTHING she has done has been an abject FAILURE.

[@SenneVorsselmans]

Classmates of mine helped design/calculate the front mount/Pilar.

[@Furious321]

This is a lot like how the Citadel was plopped on top of a traditional European city in HL2.

[@sahilrana2659]

Zaha Hadid is the best Architect everrrrrr! 👌

[@maxsone.w.3219]

It kinda looks like what the Combine from the Half-Life Series would build.

[@shuin09]

When Earth gets invaded, that's where the aliens will have their HQ

[@MatthewVandeputte]

Great to see my hometown featured on here! Now we have content from all the places I've lived (Antwerp, Sydney and London!)

[@samyfay7786]

🤔 Suggestion for future episode(s) series. You could dedicate episode(s) for architects of importance and/or particular style. An episode for Zaha Hadid could be a good start.

[@TronseMC]

I never ever feel the need to skip your ads, lovely video like always!

[@supervitallica]

I live in Antwerp, nice to see it featured on the B1M.

[@TheAdekrijger]

Comments under a video: 1. which showcases an ugly building: "It doesn't quite fit the area but it is still guite unique" or "maybe you don't like it but it is all subjective". 2. Which showcases a beautiful building: "stunnig!!!" "Beautifull❤❤" "Masterpiece👍"

[@patmat.]

I 'd have loved to know how they clean the windows.

[@seppehens8459]

really love that a video over this building and antwerp was made not comon, belguim is a country that seems like it always gets forgotten

[@sundiataq]

Born and raised in Antwerp. Projects like these make me sad. I believe that they are a crime against our architectural heritage, and can be described as little more than arrogant vandalism by a modern architectural philosophy that tries to posit itself as superior to traditional architecture. I’m not against contemporary or even Modern architecture. I believe it can look good. But not by imposing itself on a century old built environment with its own historical character, just for the sake of some ghastly contrast, because, reasons… Build it somewhere else, away from the historical centers and landmarks of the city. These kind of projects are really just the product of an aggressive, soulless, haughty, detached architectural school forced unto a public that generally speaking doesn’t even like it. People travel all over the world to admire the beauty of historical city centers. Very few would choose to vacation in a modern business park with all its modern architecture, and there’s a reason for that. This discombobulated hodgepodge of faceless glass facades, unnecessarily sharp angles and aggressive contrasts are just anxiety inducing, compared to the more harmonious architectural landscapes of historical neighborhoods rooted in the history, culture and traditions of the area. So when this modern architecture starts imposing itself on historical landmarks like this, it just feels like a perverse slap in the face to our collective history and heritage. There is a place for modern architecture, but that place is not on top of our historical heritage. By the way, I love this channel! I might not always like every design presented here but I’m still glad to see such regular and quality uploads about modern architecture and engineering around the world.

[@JohnFromAccounting]

I agree. Destruction of the culture in this way is not acceptable. I am from a region that was destroyed badly in the last war, and so much heritage was lost forever. We should never willingly destroy our past.

[@sundiataq]

@@JohnFromAccounting you should see what they've done to another treasured historical monument in Antwerp, called "Het Steen". It's literally the oldest building in the city, built between 1200 and 1225. They had already demolished the greater part of it in the 19th century, and then somewhere between 2017 and 2021 they "renovated" it by adding a modern visitor center attached to this 800 year old medieval monument... It looks disgusting... It's really criminal...

[@shazanali692]

​@@JohnFromAccounting it's a freight port and will be for the next 1000 years, there are 1000s more buildings like that one in Antwerp, this building isn't really going to be a tourist hotspot is it, so don't understand why you are complaining

[@matsbaelus6451]

Proud to be an Antwerp citizen!

[@paulmcintyre7175]

Visited Antwerp last year, had never heard of this building before. It was one of the only buildings that I stopped and took photos of, and one I remember being excited about as soon as I saw it.

[@phlvn100]

It‘s also cool that it resembles a port crane

[@MichielvanderMeulen]

running out of space is a strange argument, there's a large open space and quite inefficient use of asphalt, that could have been changed easily

[@hudcofudco]

It looks great on it's own but with the building under it I can't help but feel it looks ghastly in the position it's in. Hate it.

[@YgramNolles]

honestly, this just makes me cry

[@martyfingerpickingclassact2205]

What an absolute train crash on top of a great old building

[@chdreturns]

Agreed. Zaha Hadid's architecture is ugly as shit.

[@mrlegkick91]

Truly horrible. Why are these people allowed to construct these monstrosities?

[@smollchungus-smollkeebs2709]

@@mrlegkick91 klaus schwab and his (((friends)))

[@OlafsLeftArm]

And will only look worse as the elements remove the glossy finish of the glass.

[@RealHomeboy]

So is 80% of Belgium

[@exvdf]

Reminds me original Prague Stock Exchange from 1930's overlapped by Federal Assembly extension in 1970's, nowadays a new building of National Museum.

[@JohnSmith-me4ik]

This building encompasses everything wrong with architecture today. Genuinely makes me want to projectie vomit towards it.

[@AutoGarageTV]

If you ever wanted to witness a historical building grow a giant blob of cancer, then here you go! The "architects" did a great job achieving that goal.

[@julianlineham]

As a structural engineer I love the challenge but I like new interventions to historic work, not a complete overshadowing, like Libeskind did in Dresden too.

[@svn5994]

This overshadows the old building.

[@Ekam-Sat]

Big time. It is ugly. @@svn5994

[@jahidshumon6609]

অসাধারণ! আর্কিটেক্ট জাহা হাদিদ অত্যন্ত চমৎকার, হীরার মতো ঝকঝকে প্রজেক্ট করেছেন।

[@wwokkell]

I live in Antwerp and have visited the harbour building this summer. it looks awesome from the outside, but it did feel a bit "empty" on the inside. and sometimes a bit claustrophobic. The offices themselves where very nice though, the spaces in between the offices just weren't that appealing

[@yonatanschlussel]

That's one of the coolest buildings I've ever seen, and it's meaning makes it all the more special You guys make amazing videos

[@Ekam-Sat]

If you think it's cool please lift it up and put it in your backyard. We in Antwerp want it gone!

[@defenstrator4660]

It’s interesting and different. I can’t say they preserved the historic structure though. It’s there but it’s essential form is gone, So I wouldn’t advise this approach for different projects .

[@mr.boomguy]

Just got a crazy idea. Now, I'm no architect at all, but I do have a wild fantasy. Imagine this building, but free standing, and many others in as a city on stilts, and you can walk all below. I let the comments rate from 1-10 how plausible it is, and perhaps I'm lucky enough to get a real architects reply (note: I'm expecting 1-3 in plausible points, but still)

[@SavageSmithy]

I'm not sure what the correct solution to this problem was but that monstrosity overpowering the original architecture isn't it. It's an exercise in getting around red tape and ignoring the spirit and the reason for the rules without technically breaking them. Sad to see really

[@Ekam-Sat]

My thoughts exactly.

[@Koellenburg]

i love the symbiosis of old and new .... instead of getting rid of the old, it roots in the old and grows beyond. :)

[@sandcroft2924]

I have been there and its a stunning piece of architecture. Photos don't justify the sheer scale and imposing form. Loved Zaha Hadid since I came across her conceptual work over ten years ago.

[@cavemann_]

Yep, this building still looks horrendous. I can't believe anyone would greenlight this.

[@Cendrity]

It’s been said that an architects dream is an engineers nightmare.

[@Ekam-Sat]

It is a dream for the architect and in this case a nightmare for every citizen of Antwerp.

[@Me1le]

I remember googling it when I visited Antwerp. It's quite eye catching.

[@davetv4705]

What a great project! Nice presentation by the B1M Team. I am addicted to your videos.

[@ababababaababbba]

they should do something with the barren plaza around it

[@zapfanzapfan]

Glass extensions on historic buildings often work well I find, I have one in my town, a 19th century hospital got a very fitting glass extension.

[@Ekam-Sat]

Great; send us your address and we'll install it in your backyard.

[@jlj2169]

This is like "preserving" the Mona Lisa by wrapping it in plastic and bedazzling the plastic wrap. They destroyed the building underneath it without actually destroying it.

[@RowanMackenzie]

So I guess I must be one of the few people who doesn't like how it looks then hahaha

[@oscarsalesgirl296]

Star of David in the triangles. of course

[@jamesmatthew1903]

What a hideous monstrosity. I giant infected canker on a beautiful classic building.

[@tim_mueller]

This old and modern mix is the same thing that makes the German Palerment so beautiful

[@jonathanleonard1152]

That is not a jeweled hat. That is a jeweled ship. Shipping is the jewel of Antwerp.

[@Ekam-Sat]

No. Historical buildings are the jewels of Antwerp.

[@hermanhsu5994]

Functioning building is as usual, outstanding architecture is rare.

[@arryn786]

Hearing how deluded the architect sounds explains how something like this came about tbh🤷‍♂️. It’s the way the new building doesn’t look bad, completely and utterly generic but not bad. It’s just that they literally made it seem like they photoshop it above the old building and even cut some of it away which I thought they weren’t meant to do💀.

[@amazon4716]

Nice hybrid Old and new.

[@DanielRam814]

Zaha Hadids desings are crazy. She was a legend

[@joedowning2428]

She was an office tyrant who did very little technical work herself. I hate to disappoint

[@DanielRam814]

@@joedowning2428 legendary office tyrant then!

[@mr.future7334]

If it's very important to save old buildings then why do we destroy hills and forests?

[@BEdwardStover]

Please create a Zaha Hadid retrospective. Her remarkable work really thrills and to have them all placed together in one format will be amazing!

[@MildChunkySalsa]

I like as it answers “how do we continue to build but still keep some history intact?” and this might be an example of how it can be done. Take the famous Penn Station demolition for Madison Square Garden, maybe we could have had the two coexist if we dared to build. Not every building has to follow this exact design but the idea is definitely worth trying.

[@richardpark3054]

Wow! Great architectural achievement! Can't believe I only heard one reference (at 8:16) regarding its striking resemblance to a ship!

[@Ekam-Sat]

If you want a ship let me book you a one way ticket to Dubai.

[@richardpark3054]

Well, that's fairly inscrutable. @@Ekam-Sat

[@petermontoya1796]

Ingenious !! Some people think that building have to be square. As long as it works well. It You're NEVER gonna build something that everyone loves, so be bold not boring.

[@jonathanreyes5254]

Its honestly hideous. the style they choose doesnt mesh well at all. I dont understand why everything has to be made of steel and glass these days