Regularly featuring on lists of the most beautiful train stations in the world, Antwerp Central Station was built between 1895 and 1905. It was designed by architect Louis Delacenserie in a rich eclectic style, blending elements of Neo-Baroque, Neo-Renaissance, and Art Nouveau.
Antwerpen-Centraal - facade
The dome crowning the ticket hall rises to a height of 75 meters, giving the structure a civic presence akin to a palace or church.
Antwerpen-Centraal - ticket hall
ticket hall and steps toward the train tracks
ticket hall dome
ticket hall dome and clock
The steel and glass train shed, 185 meters long and 44 meters high, was the work of engineer Clément Van Bogaert.
train tracks
ticket hall entrance from the tracks
train tracks
Between 1998 and 2007, the station underwent a major renovation and expansion. A crucial part of the project was the vertical reorganization of the station into four levels, including a deep tunnel for through-running high-speed trains. This allowed Antwerp to shed its terminus status and become a full through-station without altering the historical structure.
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