4 minute read
In Conversation Davy Demuynck and Fernand Huts
Antwerp icon redrawn
The Boerentoren’s renovation is unique. This project covering 56,000 m² will have an entirely new function, but its look and feel will remain the same.
The sky-high ambitions of Fernand Huts and Davy Demuynck
FROM FINANCIAL SKYSCRAPER TO INNOVATIVE CULTURE TOWER
Urban fabric
The culture tower’s central location makes it inseparable from the urban fabric. Along with the cathedral, the Boerentoren dominates Antwerp’s skyline. The “Via Sinjoor” will also be constructed during the works on the tower. This new car-free pedestrian mall between Central Station and the Scheldt will branch around the tower.
The Phoebus Foundation
This is the name given to the foundation in which Fernand Huts and Katoen Natie are placing their art collection. Besides its own exhibitions, The Phoebus Foundation is highly active as a partner of museums worldwide.
Bringing Fernand Huts and Davy Demuynck together generates great chemistry. Both businessmen share the same well-defined views, are bursting with ambition, and like to think outside the box. Their joint project to revive the Boerentoren is a considerable challenge. But that’s precisely what stimulates them to make history with the culture tower.
“Fernand, I have an idea.” It would be an understatement to say that the phone call from Davy Demuynck, ION’s CEO, to Antwerp’s top entrepreneur Fernand Huts was an inspired move. “For ION to win the KBC tender, we had to be creative and innovative.”
— No-nonsense and innovative For the Boerentoren’s renovation, Davy Demuynck immediately thought of a partnership with Katoen Natie. “My own career started with Fernand Huts, and I know that we’re made of the same mold: no-nonsense and innovative. I can only admire the things he’s accomplishing internationally.”
While Fernand Huts may be a man of the world, he is a purebred Antwerp native raised in Seefhoek. This Flemish art expert also owns an extensive art collection through The Phoebus Foundation and has organized numerous high-profile exhibitions in recent years. One brainstorming session was enough. The Boerentoren will be a culture tower. Katoen Natie will acquire the building, and ION will renovate the iconic skyscraper from start to finish.
“The more culture a city can offer, the more appeal it will have,” says Huts. “The Boerentoren has tremendous heritage value. It symbolizes the financial and economic emancipation of Flanders. We want to convert the tower into an artistic and
— Fernand Huts
Huts Tower?
Will there be a Huts Tower soon? “Definitely not,” laughs Huts. “The only appropriate name for such an iconic building is the Boerentoren. And that name is engrained in the minds of all Antwerp citizens. And anyway, it was the farmers who paid for that tower in the 1930s.”
A sustainable story
Sustainable project development is part of ION’s DNA. Also, Katoen Natie has well-defined views on green energy. “When it comes to sustainability, the Boerentoren will be an exceptionally fascinating test case, for example, for thermal sewage energy. We definitely aspire to make it a sustainable and ecological story. At the same time, we have to keep in mind the existing situation. This is not a greenfield. We are still in the surveying stages, but we are definitely going to build something future-proof and sustainable.”
Via Sinjoor
Via Sinjoor is a new car-free pedestrian mall between Central Station and the river Scheldt and will draw all Antwerp citizens and visitors to the Boerentoren.
social reference point for both Antwerp and Flanders. The Boerentoren 2.0 will become a culture tower that everyone can be proud of.”
— Philanthropy After being vacant for some time, the monument will be given a new lease on life. It will have exhibition areas, movie theaters, an art depot, a restoration studio, and a sculpture garden. The first and second floors will feature retail spaces as well as offices, apartments, and hospitality venues. There will be two panoramic rooms with spectacular views of Antwerp. “This is a tale of philanthropy unseen in Europe,” adds Davy. “Nearly all buildings of such dimensions have closed doors. We endeavor to open the tower to the public as much as possible. We want to return the Boerentoren to the people as a source of experience. So, the bottom of the building will be made passable. This allows passersby to stroll through, linger, and be stimulated to take a look inside.”
— Future-proof ION has become one of the top five players in Belgium in a very short time. This extraordinary project will place the West Flemish real estate developer even more prominently on the map. “This project is the largest yet that we will develop in a single phase. It will put us to the test in every way possible. But I am confident that we are ready for this. In fact, we will have a dedicated team working full time on this project.”
Are you tempted to go international? It is only natural that the tower will also become a familiar concept internationally, says Huts. “In terms of industrial economics, Katoen Natie is an international company established in forty countries. We also have ambitions with The Phoebus Foundation to join the world’s top names, such as Museo ThyssenBornemisza in Madrid. It’s quite a challenge, but that’s what stimulates us to build a monument that is entirely future-proof.”
The Boerentoren was completed in 1931. At the time, it was 87.5 meters high and Belgium’s first skyscraper and Europe’s tallest tower building.
