Antwerp's iconic "Boerentoren" - one of Europe's first skyscrapers - soon for sale?
The banking group KBC, the owner of the historic Boerentoren, is considering to put the building on the real estate market due to high costs of asbestos removal.
The Boerentoren or KBC Tower is one of the landmarks of the city of Antwerp. It is located in the centre and was finished in 1931. At that time, the art-deco tower was the first skyscraper on the European continent, reaching 96 metres high.
However, the Boerentoren had to be closed last year when asbestos was discovered during renovation works. Experts next scanned the whole building on the presence of asbestos, and it turns out that the complete removal will take much longer than the 2 years that KBC had calculated.
The bank is now considering to sell the Boerentoren altogether, since the works will be more intensive than expected.