De Boerentoren (Farmer’s Tower), Antwerp

De Boerentoren, meaning Farmer’s Tower, was the first sky scraper to be built in Europe. Inspired by sky scrapers in New York and Chicago, De Boerentoren was built on a site that was bombed during the First World War, as part of preparations for Antwerp World Exhibition of 1930. Completed in just three years between 1929 and 1932, the original building stood at 87.5 meters.

Designed by Jan Van Hoenacker, this art-deco styled building was constructed to house offices and residences along with cafés and also had a Beer Hall. In 1954, the building height was raised to 112.5 meters with the addition of an antenna. It remained Belgium’s tallest building till 1967 when the city council discussed the possibility of destroying the structure. However, these plans were dropped and restoration of the building was taken up in 1970. The apartments and other amenities were removed and the building was reserved for office use only. In 1981, the building was declared a protected monument. Currently, it is home to the KBC, the largest bank of Flanders district, which also gives the tower its official name, the KBC Tower.

Tourist legend has it that you can see the Atomium in Brussels from the roof of this building. We leave it for you to find out whether it’s a myth or fact, when you visit the KBC Tower in Antwerp.