Sweco Belgium
Design Team Gives the Meir a Revolutionary New Future
Following a design competition, the City of Antwerp selected the team of Sweco, BAU, Atelier Jéol, and Erfgoed & Visie to give the Meir a renewed identity. Our multidisciplinary team convinced the jury with an ambitious vision for one of Belgium’s most iconic shopping streets. The preliminary design will be further developed over the coming year – until mid-2026 – in close collaboration with all stakeholders. Because designing is something you do together. Redevelopment will start no earlier than 2028.
The Meir will receive a new identity that seamlessly aligns with the character and appearance of Antwerp. Sweco proudly takes on this assignment and aims to build a new future for the Meir with all partners and stakeholders. This project is a harmonious collaboration of many hands, minds, and hearts. Urban planners, landscape architects, heritage specialists, mobility experts, designers, and contractors – each team contributes its unique expertise. The result is a shared vision, built on cooperation with merchants, users, residents, and many other stakeholders, with trust and craftsmanship.
From a shopping street to a vibrant city boulevard ready for tomorrow. The Meir will be more than just shopping — it will be a place to experience, meet, and enjoy, at any time of day. A Meir with many layers: green and livable, architecturally impressive, always buzzing with energy. A street with character, where you can stroll, shop, discover, and unwind. A Meir that surprises. That touches you. A Meir that truly gives you more for your money. But above all, it will remain a shopping street!
Manu Versluys, project leader at Sweco
Greening and Lighting as Experience
The design team presents a vision centered on greening, comfort, and atmosphere. The Meir, along with Leysstraat, Jezusstraat, and Twaalfmaandenstraat, will be transformed into a climate-resilient, pedestrian-friendly, and atmospheric shopping boulevard. There will be rest areas with views of monumental buildings, planting beds with new and existing trees, and a uniform choice of materials that gives the whole a cohesive character.
Lighting plays a key role in the design. With a thoughtful lighting plan, we extend the atmosphere of the Grote Markt and Central Station to the Meir. Not only functional but also atmospheric: the light highlights the architectural beauty of the street and literally makes the heritage shine. This way, the Meir remains a lively and inviting place even after sunset – a boulevard that sparkles, even under moonlight.
Space and Connection for Everyone
The design considers the various users of the street. Pedestrians are prioritized, but emergency services and deliveries are also integrated into the plan. In Jezusstraat, extra attention is given to creating space for relaxation, tailored to student life, shopping, and culture.
The Via Sinjoor will become a connecting boulevard – from Groenplaats to Central Station. Thanks to its strategic location, it plays a key role in the city. It not only connects east to west but also north to south. Museums, cultural centers, schools, and iconic buildings such as the Handelsbeurs, Opera, and Bourla become part of an inviting network that brings people and places together.
Architecture That Speaks, History That Lives
The renewed Meir will flourish into a vibrant boulevard that welcomes a broad audience, not just shoppers. The monotonous profile is broken, experiences are added: an attractive green structure, various usage spaces, a route through Antwerp’s history, a place for everyone, even after the shops close.
The Meir becomes a boulevard where heritage comes to life. Above the shop windows unfolds a hidden world full of architectural splendor, often unnoticed by passersby. A carefully mapped route reveals sightlines, historic facades, and subtle references to the city’s rich past. The streetscape transforms into a living ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ – a journey through time and space.
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