The glass and iron roof
Covering the rectangular court, the building's outstanding feature after restoration.
Photoglob Co., publisher โ Public domain ยท Ricardalovesmonuments โ CC BY-SA 4.0 ยท FrDr โ CC BY-SA 4.0 ยท FrDr โ CC BY-SA 4.0
In the sixteenth century Antwerp was the most important port and the largest financial centre in northern Europe, handling the spice, textile and New World silver trades. That prosperity built the city you see, and it ended with the siege of 1585 and the closing of the Scheldt to shipping.
No. The building works as an events and conference space and may close to visitors for whole days. Entry to the court is normally free at set hours when no event is running. If the building is your main reason for coming, check the position for your day.
Sign in to write your review of this place.
No reviews yet โ be the first.
The historic exchange building in central Antwerp, among the first buildings anywhere raised specifically as a commercial exchange. The first bourse on this site dates from 1531, when Antwerp was the most important trading centre in northern Europe. What stands today is not the original: the exchange burned more than once, and the present building is from the 1880s in a neo-Gothic manner. But it reproduces the original plan: a rectangular inner court ringed by a covered arcade, the form later copied by the exchanges of London and Amsterdam. The glass and iron roof over the court is its outstanding feature, and the building was fully restored and reopened in 2019 after decades of closure and neglect. It is used today as an events and conference space rather than a museum. Entry to the court is normally possible at set hours or when no event is on, and the visit is short and entirely architectural.
Covering the rectangular court, the building's outstanding feature after restoration.
The court-and-arcade plan was reproduced in the London and Amsterdam exchanges.
After decades of closure and neglect, a full restoration returned it to use.
Twaalfmaandenstraat, central Antwerp