studio libeskind crowns art deco boerentoren tower with observatory overlooking antwerp

boerentoren tower to host Phoebus Foundation’s art collection

Studio Libeskind reveals its vision for the transformation of Antwerp’s iconic Boerentoren tower into a major new cultural destination. The project, created in collaboration with ELD, will convert the 1932 Belgian Art Deco skyscraper into a new home for The Phoebus Foundation’s celebrated art collection, while reactivating its civic potential as a public and panoramic space for the city.

The redesign centers around a reimagined sculptural crown that reinstates the tower’s striking silhouette on Antwerp’s skyline, within hosting viewing halls and an observation deck high above the city. It will offer sweeping views across the historic center, the River Scheldt, and the Flemish countryside beyond, with two glass elevators that will carry visitors to the top, making the ascent part of the experience.

image courtesy of Norviska

Studio Libeskind honors the art deco structure’s history

While the design looks upward, it also excavates the building’s historic layers. Architect Daniel Libeskind notes that ‘the building’s future must be shaped by its past,’ emphasizing that the new architecture is born directly from the existing structure’s geometries, materials, and proportions. The Boerentoren’s original triangular floor plan, steel skeleton, and Art Deco facade — which was later marked by Brutalist interventions in the 1970s — are embraced, and treated as active frameworks in the building’s next life. Working with this identity as one of Europe’s earliest skyscrapers, the design composes with it to create a sensitive, transformative, contemporary spatial narrative.

Studio Libeskind anchors the interior with a vast atrium carved into the heart of the tower. The soaring void is conceived as a civic gathering space for cultural events, exhibitions, and public encounters. Flowing through the building is also the Tower Living Room, a museum-like commons that will connect people to art, heritage, and each other, and adjacent to this public core, a sculpture garden will open to the city, framing views of Antwerp’s architectural landmarks and providing a tranquil civic terrace above street level.

Throughout, the architectural approach remains tightly aligned with Flemish heritage regulations. The original steel frame and exterior facades will be preserved, while the interior is adapted through a blend of restoration and spatial reinvention. The intervention is also part of a broader infrastructural initiative for the longevity of the building, as over €100 million has already been invested into preparatory works, including the complex removal of 4,000 tons of asbestos.

Studio Libeskind reveals its vision for Boerentoren tower’s transformation  | image courtesy of Norviska

the redesign centers around a reimagined sculptural crown | image courtesy of Norviska

within, it hosts viewing halls and an observation deck high above Antwerp | image courtesy of Norviska

sweeping views across the historic center, the River Scheldt, and the Flemish countryside | image courtesy of Studio Libeskind

two glass elevators will carry visitors to the top, making the ascent part of the experience | image courtesy of Studio Libeskind

Daniel Libeskind notes that ‘the building’s future must be shaped by its past’ | image courtesy of Studio Libeskind

project info:

name: Boerentoren tower

architect: Studio Libeskind | @daniellibeskind

location: Antwerp, Belgium