The first floor of the iconic BP building, designed by Léon Stynen and Paul De Meyer in the early 1960s, has been transformed by Studio Farris into the Belgian headquarters of Buysse & Partners. Giuseppe Farris describes the intervention as a long-distance dialogue with Stynen and De Meyer. Inspired by their pioneering spirit, the architect aims to re-emphasise the building’s spatial qualities.

In 1959, Léon Stynen and Paul De Meyer were approached by British Petroleum to design a new headquarters in Antwerp city centre. The designers convinced BP to opt for a groundbreaking design on a green site on the outskirts of the city. The tower, which has since become iconic, is based on an innovative construction principle: the suspended structure. A concrete supporting structure with a steel core and nine cross-beams rests on the central concrete shaft containing staircases, lift shafts and technical installations; 22 steel tension cables are attached to this structure, supporting the steel skeleton of the façade and the floors. The sculptural construction gives the building a light, open character thanks to the non-load-bearing curtain walls and the open floor plan. ¹ 1 Read more about the BP Building and the work of Léon Stynen: Dirk Laureys, Serge Migom, Nina Serulus, Bart Tritsmans and Ellen Van Impe (eds.), Léon Stynen, A life of Architecture, 1899–1990, (Flemish Architecture Institute, 2018).