Locatie Open Oproep 1704 © Michael De Lausnay

Locatie Open Oproep 1704 © Michael De Lausnay

Locatie Open Oproep 1704 © Michael De Lausnay

Locatie Open Oproep 1704 © Michael De Lausnay

Locatie Open Oproep 1704 © Michael De Lausnay

Locatie Open Oproep 1704 © Michael De Lausnay

Locatie Open Oproep 1704 © Michael De Lausnay

Locatie Open Oproep 1704 © Michael De Lausnay

Locatie Open Oproep 1704 © Michael De Lausnay

Locatie Open Oproep 1704 © Michael De Lausnay

Locatie Open Oproep 1704 © Michael De Lausnay

Locatie Open Oproep 1704 © Michael De Lausnay

Luchtfoto © GDI-Vlaanderen

Luchtfoto © GDI-Vlaanderen

Project description

The Koninklijke Maatschappij voor Dierkunde van Antwerpen (KMDA), with financial support from the Flemish Community, will renovate and modernise the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Koningin Astridplein in Antwerp.

This hall was built fifty years ago to replace the hall attached to Antwerp Zoo. It seats approximately two thousand people and is used intensively for concerts (classical and modern), performances and congresses. Together with the historically valuable Marble Room, Darwin Room and Verlat Room, as well as the unique Winter Garden, it makes up the 'Zoo halls complex', which in its turn is linked to the zoo itself.

The Queen Elizabeth Hall is due for thorough renovation so as to ensure it can continue operating. What is more, its technical installations have to be modernised so that they meet the present expectations of concert and congress organisers and of the public. The last item on the list is an improvement in logistical access to the complex of halls. In keeping with the KMDA's philosophy, this must all be done with an eye to sustainability and the sparing use of energy. Lastly, the present seating capacity (2071) must not be reduced.

The authorities (Flemish Community, Antwerp city council) expect that after renovation, the Queen Elizabeth Hall can be promoted as one of the best symphonic concert halls in the country, and as a complex that can accommodate major international congresses. In this respect it is crucial that the hall's acoustic qualities are considerably improved, by means of both a number of architectural changes and the design of the hall. The design team will therefore be expected to have the necessary expertise in acoustics.

After this renovation, deFilharmonie, one of Flanders' major symphony orchestras, will move in as resident orchestra. This means that the orchestra will make intensive use of the hall for concerts and rehearsals and that its staff will be suitably housed in the rooms adjoining the hall.

Several stakeholders are involved in this sizeable and complex project, all of whose expectations of the final result have to be reconciled. A substantial preliminary stage has been completed, involving all the parties concerned. The design team are expected to take all the study work as their starting point, and to keep to the set timing and budget. The way deFilharmonie and other stakeholders will be involved in the execution and monitoring of the project still has to be established and conveyed to the designer.

overall fee between 10% and max. 14% (incl. stability, technical installations,acoustics, safety coordination, etc

Antwerpen OO1704

Full design brief for the renovation and new building work on the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Antwerp

Project status
Selected agencies
  • Kirkegaard Associates , SimpsonHaugh Architects
  • Anne Minors Performance Consultants Ltd., Bureau d'Etudes Greisch nv, Robbrecht en Daem architecten, Sound Space Design Ltd, VK Engineering
  • Caruso St John, signum+ architects, Tractebel Engineering nv
  • DRIESEN-MEERSMAN-THOMAES architecten cvba
  • Office dA
Location

Koningin Astridplein 23, 2018 Antwerpen

Timing project
  • Selection: 15 Apr 2009
  • Toewijzen opdracht aan de ontwerpers: 1 Sep 2009
  • First briefing: 8 May 2009
  • Second briefing: 12 Jun 2009
  • Submission: 18 Sep 2009
  • Jury: 29 Sep 2009
  • Award: 17 Dec 2009
  • Toewijzen opdracht aan de uitvoerders: 1 Jun 2010
  • In gebruikname: 1 Dec 2012
Client

vzw KMDA Koninklijke Maatschappij voor Dierkunde

contact Client

Mark Andries

Procedure

prijsvraag voor ontwerpen met gunning via onderhandelingsprocedure zonder bekendmaking.

External jury member

Koen Van Synghel

Budget

€30.000.000 (excl. VAT) (excl. Fees)

Awards designers

€25,000 (incl. VAT) per prizewinner