Expo Antwerpen Morgen Exhibition

The first stone of the new Antwerp City Hall was laid on February 27, 1561, following designs by architect Cornelis Floris De Vriendt. The project was conceived as a Renaissance structure on the Grote Markt, with ground-floor shops designed to help offset construction costs.

Following the completion of the roof in the summer of 1564, the new town hall was officially inaugurated on February 27, 1565. The project had faced financial challenges mid-construction, requiring the city to secure additional loans to complete the building.

In 1576, the town hall suffered severe fire damage during the Spanish Fury, losing its roof and interior. Reconstruction efforts began two years later in 1578 and were largely completed by 1580.

Driven by post-revolutionary economic growth and population increases, the city conducted a major restoration of the town hall. The exterior facade was entirely replaced between 1853 and 1869, while interior restoration works continued until 1898.

The Antwerp City Hall was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1999 as part of the collective site 'Belfries of Belgium and France'. The status was further extended in 2005.

A multi-year restoration project, backed by a 35.5 million euro investment, commenced on April 9, 2018. The works included facade cleaning, interior repairs of murals and gold-leather wallpaper, and significant modern technical upgrades such as climate control and digital infrastructure, culminating in a celebration on June 18, 2022.