Palace of Justice, Antwerp
| Palace of Justice of Antwerp | |
|---|---|
Aerial view of the Palace of Justice | |
| Alternative names | Antwerp Law Courts, Butterfly Palace |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Architectural style | High-tech architecture |
| Address | Bolivarplaats 20 |
| Town or city | Antwerp |
| Country | Belgium |
| Coordinates | 51°12′14″N 4°23′07″E / 51.2039273°N 4.3852541°E |
| Construction started | 3 April 2001 |
| Construction stopped | 28 October 2005 |
| Inaugurated | 28 March 2006 |
| Cost | €280 million |
| Client | Régie des Bâtiments (Buildings Management) |
| Owner | Cofinimmo |
| Height | 18 metres |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 6 (1 underground and 5 above-ground) |
| Floor area | 78,000 square metres (840,000 sq ft) |
| Grounds | 3.7 hectares (9.1 acres) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Ivan Harbour, Andrew Morris (Project Partners) and Avtar Lotay (Project Lead) |
| Architecture firm | Richard Rogers Partnership and VK Studio |
| Structural engineer | Arup and Bureau Van Kerckhove |
| Services engineer | Arup and Bureau Van Kerckhove |
| Quantity surveyor | Bureau Van Kerckhove |
| Main contractor | Interbuild, KBC and Artesia |
| Awards and prizes | Chicago Athaneum International Architecture Award, 2008 RIBA European Award, 2008 Staalbouwprijs, 2006 |
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The Palace of Justice of Antwerp (Dutch: Justitiepaleis Antwerpen), commonly known as the Antwerp Law Courts (Dutch: Gerechtsgebouw Antwerpen), De Frietzakken, and the Butterfly Palace (Dutch: Vlinderpaleis), is a courthouse in Antwerp, Belgium. The building was erected on the site of the former Antwerp-South railway station, over the Bolivar Tunnel (Dutch: Bolivartunnel), and it houses eight district civil and criminal courts. It was inaugurated on 28 March 2006 by King Albert II, Minister of Justice Laurette Onkelinx, Minister of Finance Didier Reynders, governor Camille Paulus and mayor Patrick Janssens. The building was designed by the Richard Rogers Partnership, VK Studio and Arup.