When we were asked by Befimmo to upgrade the iconic 1908 glass dome by architect Emile Thielens for ‘Banque de Reports, de Fonds Publics et de Dépôts’ (now the HQ of BNP Paribas) at Meir 48 in Antwerp, the bank had to stay fully operational at all times.
We sealed off the dome, built a temporary platform, and worked entirely from the outside – five storeys up.
We reinforced the original ironwork, stripped off a century of paint and replaced it with fire-resistant coating, swapped the single glazing for high-performance double glass and installed a maintenance system.
All without stepping inside.
Fun fact: the site installation cost more than the dome works themselves.
We poured so much love into it, the result remains just as refined as the original – only now, with maximum daylight and zero compromise.
Daylight flows 5 floors deep, from the sky to the teller desks.
A decade later, it still tribbles.
