The competition for the new design for the fire station extension in Antwerp, Belgium to house the port authority headquarters was won by Zaha Hadid who described her conceptual design as a "crystalline volume suspended on concrete legs."The estimated €30.5m design, which has a facade clad in glass and brushed aluminum panels was designed by Zaha to mimic a diamond in reference to the Belgian port's diamond industry. Hadid said: “The dichotomy between the reflective, faceted form of the new extension and the powerful structural mass of the existing fire station creates a bold and enigmatic statement for the city.”
The design has not been developed much past its conceptual phase, so I am eager to see what the details will contain especially how her structural system is to work. I do hope though that this time it is something feasible; Zaha's designs have not always come to fruition throughout her career. All in all, it is an interesting design though a little over the top for the Belgian port authority.
Image obtained from www.building.co.uk
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