Loodswezen, Protected maritime building in Eilandje district, Antwerp, Belgium.
Loodswezen is a protected maritime building in Antwerp's Eilandje district featuring eclectic architecture that blends various historical design styles into a nearly square structure. The symmetrical building at Tavernierkaai 3 has a waterfront location that connects the historic city center with the old harbor zones.
The Loodswezen building was erected between 1892 and 1895 to designs by architects Hendrik Kennes and Ferdinand Truyman, who gave it an eclectic style. It housed the administrative services of the pilotage authority, and until 2016 it also accommodated the Zeevaartinspectie (Shipping Inspectorate) and the Vloot en Maritieme Schelde. In 2017 the City of Antwerp bought the building from the Flemish Region for 2.1 million euros.
The building stands as a reminder of Antwerp's working harbor heritage, located where ships and dock workers moved through daily. Its symmetrical form and waterfront position reflect how the city valued its connection to maritime trade and river commerce.
The ground floor holds exhibition spaces that opened to the public in 2018, a year after the City of Antwerp bought the building from the Flemish Region for 2.1 million euros. The building stands on the right bank of the Scheldt at Tavernierkaai 3, next to the Museum aan de Stroom on the Eilandje.
The building stands on the right bank of the Scheldt, upstream of the approach to the Bonapartesluis lock. Its near-square plan and symmetrical front were designed to link the old city with the harbour. The City of Antwerp bought it from the Flemish Region in 2017 for 2.1 million euros.
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