With Antwerp Port House, Zaha Hadid Architects have staged the battle between old and new so straightforwardly that it becomes brutal. The old is identified with the symmetric order of a disused fire station from the early 20th century, while the new is recognisable in the multifaceted shape of the extension. This is, paradoxically perhaps for a building designed by an architect of Hadid's generation, in line with the Venice Charter of the '60s, and with the Modernist prohibition to mingle what exists with what is added. Never, inside nor outside, does it become unclear what is new and what is old - with the exception, perhaps, of the short moment when the panoramic lift leaves the former fire station (and the base of a never materialised spire) and enters the first floor of the office building. As ZHA emphasises, a study by heritage consultants Origin - revealing the orientation of the old building, the equal importance of the four elevations, and the originally intended tower - was the foundation of the project.
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