Antwerp's new Port House features a Zaha Hadid construction sitting over an old fire station. I noted earlier - before I'd seen it in situ - that "it looks like it's just plonked imperiously on top of the original building, with no attempt at a sympathetic conversation between the two". Having now had the chance to look around and check it out for myself, I think that's still a fair summary:
It's striking, sure enough, and impressive in its way. You can see why it was the first choice for the Antwerp's Port Authority. It looks like the bow of a ship - and then again the triangular-faceted glass has echoes of a diamond, and Antwerp bills itself as "the diamond capital of the world". So the design, as well as being by a big-name architect guaranteed to bring attention, ticks all those boxes in terms of relevance and message.
It's fine in itself, I think. It just doesn't seem to have any respect for the perfectly decent building it's squatting over.
Gross, corrupt desecration of the inherent qualities of the building materials.
Useless, fucking, embarrassing piece of shite.
I hope all involved rot in hell.
Posted by: Fred Z | November 03, 2017 at 03:36 AM
You don't like it, then?
Posted by: Mick H | November 03, 2017 at 07:55 AM