Antwerpen, Art Nouveau and Diamonds

work in progress, planned as ‘end-of-year’ event

Eclectic architecture in Zurenborg – Berchem

Art Nouveau houses are interspersed with neoclassical mansions and other eclectic architectural styles throughout Zurenborg, which straddles the boundary between Antwerp itself and the district of Berchem. The southern part, which falls within Berchem and is centred on Cogels-Osylei , Transvaalstraat, and Waterloostraat, has the highest number of townhouses. To the north, in the Antwerp section, many further examples were built along the streets surrounding Dageraadplaats.

The development of Zurenborg coincided with the peak of Art Nouveau popularity, and that movement had the greatest impact on the stylistic language of the area. However, many other styles —mostly “revival styles”— that were popular at the time are also represented. These include Gothic Revival, Neo-Renaissance, Greek Revival, Neoclassical, and the “cottage style” that coincided with British Tudor-Elisabethan architecture.

Diamonds – DIVA museum

DIVA is a museum for diamonds, silver and silversmithing on the Suikerrui in Antwerp. It is a merger of the Diamond Museum and the Silver Museum Sterckshof, which were previously located elsewhere in the city.

The city of Antwerp and diamonds are closely linked. The new museum focuses on the art historical story, with goldsmith’s art and diamonds taking center stage. Antwerp as a world center of diamond processing and trade is presented in a broad perspective.