Antwerpen - central train station
To introduce more variety let's go to another town in Belgium. This is second largest town in the country - Antwerpen. And to begin introduction to Antwerp let's begin from the central train station - itself both monument of architecture and engineering:
The railway station in modern city could be treated as the gates of the city. And if the gates are impressive then this town immediately get's higher ranking in the minds of many arrivals. Antwerp clearly has impressive gates. Wikipedia says that in 2009 American magazine Newsweek ranked Antwerpen-Centraal fourth most beautiful train station in the world.
The modern train station in Antwerpen was built in 1895-1905 instead of smaller and more similar train station built here before. Passenger terminal and waiting halls were built by the project of architect Lois Delacanserie while the vast (185 metres long and 44 metres high) iron and glass trainshed by Clement van Bogaert. More than 10 years ago (in 1998) large reconstruction works were started and Antwerpen-Centraal became multi-story station and very impressive engineering phenomena. I wasn't prepared to see something like that and was immediately surprised upon arrival. So better to see than to talk :))
We went out from the Brussels train and saw that we are at the lowest ground of multistory train station. Before that I saw multistory train station only in Berlin:
Going up to the main hall:
Trains to Antwerpen arrives at four floors: two underground floors, one ground-floor and the second floor. View down:
Clearly seen multifloor structure:
This train is going on the second (above the ground floor) (I am on the ground floor):
Interiors of the waiting halls shows the ambitions of the station developers and the tastes and ideas of the late XIXth century - period of the trumph of capitalism in Europe (you also need to remember that Antwerp with Brugge and Ghent were the places were modern capitalism and in large part modern economy were born).:
It's not big surprise that you can see many tourists walking around the station and making photos :)))
The main facade of the station:
Going further:
Sideview:
Trainshed - it is impossible to show full 185 m length :
To the left from side from main entrance of station are the buildings of Belgian Royal zoological society:
On the closest to the station building I saw the most original sculpture in Belgium :)))
Behind those buildings you can find Antwerp Zoo. If you will turn to the other side and miss your direction to the old town you will find another zoo:)))
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The railway station in modern city could be treated as the gates of the city. And if the gates are impressive then this town immediately get's higher ranking in the minds of many arrivals. Antwerp clearly has impressive gates. Wikipedia says that in 2009 American magazine Newsweek ranked Antwerpen-Centraal fourth most beautiful train station in the world.
The modern train station in Antwerpen was built in 1895-1905 instead of smaller and more similar train station built here before. Passenger terminal and waiting halls were built by the project of architect Lois Delacanserie while the vast (185 metres long and 44 metres high) iron and glass trainshed by Clement van Bogaert. More than 10 years ago (in 1998) large reconstruction works were started and Antwerpen-Centraal became multi-story station and very impressive engineering phenomena. I wasn't prepared to see something like that and was immediately surprised upon arrival. So better to see than to talk :))
We went out from the Brussels train and saw that we are at the lowest ground of multistory train station. Before that I saw multistory train station only in Berlin:
Going up to the main hall:
Trains to Antwerpen arrives at four floors: two underground floors, one ground-floor and the second floor. View down:
Clearly seen multifloor structure:
This train is going on the second (above the ground floor) (I am on the ground floor):
Interiors of the waiting halls shows the ambitions of the station developers and the tastes and ideas of the late XIXth century - period of the trumph of capitalism in Europe (you also need to remember that Antwerp with Brugge and Ghent were the places were modern capitalism and in large part modern economy were born).:
It's not big surprise that you can see many tourists walking around the station and making photos :)))
The main facade of the station:
Going further:
Sideview:
Trainshed - it is impossible to show full 185 m length :
To the left from side from main entrance of station are the buildings of Belgian Royal zoological society:
On the closest to the station building I saw the most original sculpture in Belgium :)))
Behind those buildings you can find Antwerp Zoo. If you will turn to the other side and miss your direction to the old town you will find another zoo:)))
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