Antwerp municipal theatre to be demolished
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Loading... - Louis Peeters
- 17 May 2022
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In 2014 the Sportpaleis Group that runs the Sportpaleis events venue took over the running of the theatre. The condition of the theatre building has gradually deteriorated in recent years. Not least due to concrete carbonation - a natural aging process. Removing the rotten concrete would cost millions of euros. Consequently, Antwerp’s City Cabinet has decided that the the building should be demolished. The City of Antwerp will now look for a new location to erect a new modern theater complex.
Nick-named “The Bunker” by locals, the Stadsschouwburg is home to the KNS theatre group, the Royal Youth Theatre and the Antwerp Ballet School. Maintenance of “The Bunker” didn’t come cheap. Keeping the building compliant with fire safety regulations alone cost 5 million euro per annum.
The issue of concrete carbonation that blights the building have served to make matters even worse. The building’s metal reinforcement is affected by rust. This serves to increases the volume of the steel, making the concrete burst, which in turn causes the oxidized reinforcement to be exposed to the elements.
Removing the concrete and completely renovating the municipal theater would cost at least 25 million euro. Instead, the City of Antwerp would rather spend a similar amount on the construction of a new and modern theatre complex. A location for the new Stadsschouwburg still has to be found. Read More...
