BP Building (Antwerp)

The BP Building, previously also known as the Axa-Royale Belge Tower, is a suspended-structure office building in Antwerp, Belgium, designed by the Belgian architect Léon Stynen. The building was completed in 1963 and features a unique cantilevered floor structure and cable supports. All of the floors are supported with external cables that are attached to roof beams: the weight of roof beams, all floors, and the external walls are carried by a center core. The building was commissioned by BP and is still referred to as the "BP Building", but is now owned by Buysse & Partners Smart Assets since 2018. Its architecture has been classified as Modernist and Brutalist.[3]

BP Building
BP Building in 2012
Former namesAxa-Royale Belge Tower
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeOffice
Architectural styleModernism
LocationAntwerp, Belgium
AddressJan van Rijswijcklaan 162
Coordinates51.1925°N 4.3975°E / 51.1925; 4.3975
Current tenantsDelen Private Bank; BNP Paribas Wealth Management; Notariskantoor Van Laere; Waterland Private Equity
Construction started1960
Completed1963[1]
OwnerBuysse & Partners Smart Assets
Height187 feet (57 m)
Technical details
Structural systemCables and beams
MaterialConcrete
Floor count12
Design and construction
Architect(s)Léon Stynen
Other designersClaude Blondel and Raymond Van Loo
Main contractorAlgemene Ondernemingen Widuwe Jerôme Van Coillie
References
[2]

Design

In 1963, well-known Belgian architect Leon Stynen experimented with a technique which allowed a cantilevered facade. All of the floors and the facade of the building are held up with steel cables which are supported from rooftop beams. The design allows for a greater unobstructed interior space.[4] It was Europe's first building which made use of "suspended construction".[3]

The floors are supported by external cables, which allows each floor to have no internal columns. The ten floors are all similar and divided by interior wood-based walls. The facade is a type of curtain wall with metal grids. A restaurant is located on the upper level of the building.[5]

The center concrete columns are 57 metres (187 ft) tall, and in addition to supporting the stairway and the duct work, they also support the steel core of two 55-metre (180 ft) beams. Nine crossbeams, 18 metres (59 ft) long, run perpendicular to the two primary beams. Cables are then hung from the crossbeams, and these support the floors.[3]

  • Top section of the BP Building, showing cantilevered roof beams and suspension cables
    Top section of the BP Building, showing cantilevered roof beams and suspension cables

Axa-Royale Belge Tower

The building was purchased by Axa Bank Belgium and renamed the Axa-Royale Belge Tower.[6][7] It underwent a major renovation and most of the original interior is now replaced.[3]

On 5 March 2001 the building was classified as an architectural monument based on historical and architectural value.[8]

Awards

1964 SBUAM Prize Société belge des Urbanistes et Architectes modernistes.[9]

References
  1. "BP Building, Antwerp". tobebuild.archi. ToBeBuild.Archi. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  2. "Emporis building ID 109000". Emporis. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022.
  3. "BP-building". inventaris onroerenderfgoed. Onroerenderfgoed. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  4. Winston, Anna (10 January 2019). "Five buildings by Belgian architect Léon Stynen that are worth visiting". Dezeen Magazine. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  5. Van Balen, Koen; Verstrynge, Els (2016). Structural analysis of historical constructions : anamnesis, diagnosis, therapy, controls. United Kingdom: Taylor and Francis Group. p. 1658. ISBN 978-1-138-02951-4. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  6. "BP Building à Anvers" (PDF). Master Builders Solutions. MBCC Group. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  7. De Meyer, Paul. "BF Builiding [sic]". architectuul. Architectuul. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  8. "BP-building". Inventaris Onroerenderfgoed. Onroerenderfgoed. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  9. Acier - Volume 31. Asse, Belgium: Centre belgo-luxembourgeois d'information de l'acier. 1966. p. 309. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
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