The province of Antwerp and Port of Antwerp-Bruges announced the name of the port’s new experience centre on the Droogdokkensite on 5 July 2023. ‘Port World’ – which should play an important role as a gateway for young people to the port – will open its doors to the general public in spring 2026.
It was already announced in 2017 that the provincial Port Centre would build a new experience centre closer to the city. In doing so, it opted – also because of the increasingly difficult accessibility due to the Oosterweel works – to move from its current site in Lillo to the Droogdokkensite on the Scheldt quays in the north of Antwerp. The new experience centre will thus be located at the intersection of port and city, where it will be able to respond even better to the needs of its customers and target groups in the future. The new ‘Havenwereld’ experience centre will be an integral part of the master plan for the gradual development and opening up of the Dry Dock Site.
Closer to the Scheldt
“Just as we are redeveloping the Scheldt quays to bring Antwerpers and everyone beyond closer to the Scheldt, we will also create a lot of new and beautiful public space on the Droogdokkensite according to the principles of increased greening and blackening,” says Annick De Ridder, port alder of the City of Antwerp and chairman of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges board of directors. “The Droogdokkensite is the place par excellence where the city embraces the port.”
‘Port World’ will integrate the educational activities of the provincial Port Centre and the activities aimed at the general public of Port of Antwerp-Bruges’ Portopolis at the MAS. With a port experience trail, games and doing assignments, the new experience centre aims to immerse visitors in the fascinating world of the port and get young people excited about a job in the sector. Besides young people and schools, families, tourists and groups are also welcome to discover the world of the port. Various sectors, including industry, logistics and the maritime sector, as well as themes such as energy transition and innovation, will be addressed.
Strong heads
“Port World will be the centre where people will be able to explore, discover and experience the specific world that is our world port. Our young people are our core target group, whether they come in school or with their families. All visitors will be immersed here and will be able to experience how our port is shaping the future. Hopefully, this will also warm them up to fill one of the many hugely interesting port vacancies later on,” says De Ridder. “It is thanks to bright minds that the economic engine of Flanders is running so well. So the more people we introduce to this engine in a fun way, the better. Port World provides the perfect platform for this.”
16 million euros
“The Dry Dock Site used to be a place of diligent labour and has today become a cultural heritage hub. By building a modern experience centre, the province of Antwerp is betting on the economic engine of Antwerp and the whole of Flanders,” says Luk Lemmens, deputy responsible for the Port Centre. “When you see how many economic and industrial sectors are located here and types of jobs, from production to supporting office functions, you are amazed at how many career opportunities the port offers. So the port offers a future to young workers, but conversely, they also make the future of the port. And that is what we are focusing on with the new Port World by investing 11 million in the construction and 5 million in the entire layout but certainly also in the experience. We can boast 35 years of expertise of interactive working with young people and look forward to taking this to the next level.”
Industrial character
‘Havenwereld’ will partly occupy the old Propeller workshop on the Droogdokkensite. The building – designed by Rotterdam-based architecture firm Atelier Kempe Thill – will be a combination of restoration and new construction and will offer around 1,500m² of space for experience and knowledge. The raw, industrial character of the site will remain intact.
Read more below the photo.
Experience
To develop the experience, both partners appointed Dutch agency Heijmerink-Wagemakers Vormgeversatelier. This will work with a very diverse team of specialists in both education, multimedia and concept development. Participation trajectories with young people, educational specialists and port specialists will be set up to help shape the experience.
Schools can book interactive workshops in addition to guided tours. Catering is available in the building for both Havenwereld and Dry Dock site visitors.
“Havenwereld connects people and the port. We do this to position the port as a place of possibilities and opportunities, both individually and socially. The emphasis is on an open and inclusive approach, with perception, sensitisation and activation at the centre,” De Ridder concludes.
Master plan
In July 2022, the city of Antwerp approved the master plan for the Droogdokkensite. In 2024, works will start on the first phase of redeveloping the site into a major experience and meeting place around maritime and port heritage. The Droogdokkensite is an 11-hectare landscape of industrial and architectural heritage. It is bordered by the Scheldt, the Royers lock, the Kattendijk dock and the Sasdok. Besides the nine historic, protected dry docks, it contains two large clusters of buildings, two pump houses and several smaller scattered outbuildings. The two sheds on the west side of Dry Dock Road in the future Dry Dock Park are also part of the site.
At the end of June 2023, the current Port Centre in Lillo closed its doors and its staff temporarily moved to Antwerp Provincial House. From here, APB Port Centre will continue to offer its activities.
