Meir (Antwerp)
Encyclopedia
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, together with the Nieuwstraat / Rue Neuve
Rue Neuve (Brussels)
Rue Neuve or Nieuwstraat is a pedestrian street in Brussels' city center. It is the most popular shopping area in Belgium by number of shoppers...
avenue in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
it is the most important shopping area in the country.
Situated in the centre of Antwerp, Meir connects the Town Hall
Antwerp City Hall
The City Hall of Antwerp, Belgium, stands on the western side of Antwerp's Grote Markt . Erected between 1561 and 1565 to the design of Cornelis Floris de Vriendt and several other architects and artists, this Renaissance building incorporates both Flemish and Italian influences.The low arcaded...
with the Central Station.
Between 2002-2004 it was the most expensive shopping street in the Benelux
Benelux
The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany...
. Since the opening of the historic Stadsfeestzaal-shopping center in 2007 the Meir regained that position. It has the highest rents of any street in Belgium, at 1,700 €/square metre/year.
The name comes from the old Dutch word "meere" (lake). The Meir used to be a so-called "wood lake" (houtmeer), where wood destined for use in furniture would be kept wet for a time.
Historical buildings
- Meir 50: Royal Residence, built in 1745. This building served as the Antwerp residence of Belgian kings.
- Meir 85: Osterrieth House, built in 1746 in full RococoRococoRococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
-style
Surroundings
- The NeoclassicalNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
Bourla Theatre, built in 1827 and 1834 by architect Pierre Bruno BourlaPierre Bruno BourlaPierre Bruno Bourla was a Paris-born Belgian architect. He was the city architect in Antwerp from 1819 to 1861, and a professor of architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. His most famous work is the Royal Theatre built between 1827 and 1834, known popularly after him as the "Bourla...
. - Central Station, completed 1905 in an eclectic style.
- Town HallAntwerp City HallThe City Hall of Antwerp, Belgium, stands on the western side of Antwerp's Grote Markt . Erected between 1561 and 1565 to the design of Cornelis Floris de Vriendt and several other architects and artists, this Renaissance building incorporates both Flemish and Italian influences.The low arcaded...
, completed 1564 in FlemishFlandersFlanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
-ItalianItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style. - Trading Exchange, reconstruction of one of the world's first stock-exchange built in 1531.
- Rubens House, historical home of the painter Rubens