Police Tower

Antwerp Administrative Center
The story of the office tower begins in 1950: at that time, all Antwerp officials were scattered throughout the city in old buildings. Renaat Braem was convinced that city services would function better if all officials were housed together. The design process thus began with the development of an organizational scheme for city services. In addition to the cathedral, which represented religious power, and the Farmer's Tower, which symbolized economic power, the new administrative center was to become a place for the citizens. The tower building was part of a larger complex of buildings that was never fully realized. The only completed building on Oudaan Street was given a different function, serving as the headquarters of the Antwerp police, hence the nickname Police Tower (Politietoren). The original design fulfilled an important urban planning function: the square in front of the tower was meant to be part of a series of squares in the city center. Thus, the city center would once again become the symbolic heart of society, which perfectly aligned with the way of thinking about modern cities in the post-war years. Since the design was only partially realized, this idea did not take hold. The tower building was torn from the overall project and broader context and remains a source of heated debate to this day. Nevertheless, the Police Tower is still considered one of the most remarkable modern high-rise buildings in Belgium. Since 2002, the building has been protected as a historical monument.