Railroad Cathedral: Antwerp Train Station

The central dome tower, with its massive fan-light window, and the two smaller towers, are the main distinguishing features of Antwerp Central Railway Station’s exterior. The structure’s grandeur is most prominent in the ribbed copper roof covering the dome and the gilded cupola above it. A decorative glass and iron fanlight allows natural light to flood the interior of the historic entrance hall. Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Presented majestically as baroque-medieval eclectic architecture, Antwerp Central Railway Station’s historic stone structure looms large and impressive in the heart of Antwerp, a city about 30 miles north of Brussels, Belgium’s capital.

Begun in 1895 and inaugurated in 1905, the station was conceptualized by Belgium architect Louis Delacenserie (1838–1909). Delacenserie was part of the Belgian Gothic Revival movement, which focused on elaborately decorative stonework, finials, and tall narrow lancet windows. The station is also regal in design because the building project was initiated by Belgium’s then-king, Leopold II (1835–1909).

The two men created a monumental structure, inspired by Italian Renaissance palaces. However, Byzantine and Moorish architectural design influences are also evident in the station’s arches, domes, complex tile work, and repeating patterns. Overall, the original square-shaped station has two entrances and is capped by its central dome and cupola between the two entrances.

Twenty different kinds of marble and stone make up the visible aspects of the structure and cover the vast amounts of steel used to erect it.

According to a January 2024 edition of The Brussels Times, over 200,000 people walk through the doors of the striking station each week—dubbed a “railroad cathedral” by many—and take in the innumerable architectural details achieved so long ago.

The geometric patterned, marble flooring contrasts with the myriad arches and the barrel-vaulted ceiling in the entrance hall. The floor tiles coordinate with the ceilings' inset tray designs. A gilded clock above the arched entryway is centered between two marble staircases, as if sitting on a throne outlined by the immense peacock-design fanlight (decorative lunette windows). Arches on all four open floors of the arcade levels, visible from the ground floor of the entrance hall, are supported by square and circular stone or marble columns. T meltzer/CC BY-SA 4.0

One reason Antwerp residents and visitors refer to the historic station as a “railway cathedral” is because of its resplendent dome. Impressive when viewed from the outside, the dome is extraordinarily remarkable when looking up from inside the entrance hall. At 246 feet tall, the dome is surrounded by four massive stone and tray-ceiling arches and four levels of arched windows. T meltzer/ CC BY-SA 4.0

An arch resembling a crown draws attention to Antwerp Railway Station's signature clock. The arch's architectural design elements include pearls in the egg-and-dart-like carved-stone molding with symmetrically placed keystones, topped with gilded rosettes. A large, carved acanthus leaf over the clock is the centerpoint element. The clock appears to rest on a gilded crown that is part of Antwerp's coat of arms, reflecting the city’s rich history and heritage. The city's heraldry is flanked by gilded representations of industry, transport, trade, and capital. SL-Photography/Shutterstock

A close-up view of the symmetrical fanlights that surround the dome’s oculus reveals the space’s design intricacies. Columns sporting a simple capital accentuate the multi-layered, keystone-topped stone arches while rosettes accentuate each side of the arches. MattShortPhotography/Shutterstock

Various column designs: Doric, Tuscan, Ionic, and Corinthian architectural orders sit atop balustrade railings in the station’s upper-level arcades (covered areas that lead to halls and stairways). The featured columns’ double layer capitals include elements of Ionic order (decorative volute scrolls) beneath a plain, square, Doric order. A carved, stone fleur-de-lis joins each keystone-topped arch, and the walls behind are covered in various types of marble. Denise Barone/Shutterstock

While the plentiful glass in the expansive fanlights enables natural light to flood the historic main station, Antwerp's terminal hall is constructed almost entirely of glass supported by an iron framework. An engineer, Clément Van Bogaert (1865–1937), was responsible for its design. Over 600 feet long, almost 150 wide, and more than 170 feet tall at its central point, the spectacular space is ornamented with flying buttress-like elements (architectural support for roofs or vaulted ceilings) that canopy the wide arched windows. From one view inside the terminal, travelers experience the elaborate decorative stonework, marble, and glass entryway into the main historic station hall. Bjorn Beheydt/Shutterstock

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