The KBC Tower

In 1930, the first skyscraper in Europe - The KBC Tower - was built in the centre of town to celebrate the Antwerp World Exhibition. Created on a site that was originally cleared by bombing during the First World War, the city council insisted that the building should not be any taller than the cathedral. This stipulation about buildings not overshadowing the cathedral still exists in Antwerp today. The tower is generally known as Boerentoren or 'Farmer's tower', since the banks biggest shareholder at the time of it being built was a farmer's co-operation. The design of the skyscraper was based on the contemporary high-rise buildings of New York and Chicago. It was one of the first buildings in Europe to use the new load-carrying, structural frame technology. The tower contains quite a few rooms with Art Deco features and has an Art Deco-style facade. There were plans to destroy the tower in the late sixties as it had started to deteriorate, but was saved by a restoration project in the early seventies. The tower was originally designed to be a multifunctional building, and comprised of offices as well as apartments. After restoration the apartments were taken out and replaced by office space in order to increase revenue. In 1981 the tower was listed as a protected building. If you require hotels in any other part of Belgium then Global Hotels can assist. We operate from Belgium and are delighted to recommend any of the following sites should you require hotels in any other Belgiumn destination. Hotels in Brugge and Hotels in Brussels. We hope you have a great trip to whatever part of Belgium you decide to visit. Copyright @ Global Travel Solutions [ Antwerp hotels in Antwerp] - [Site Map] - [ Secure Server ] - [ Privacy Policy ] - [ Disclaimer ]