From the Grote Markt to the spaces beyond the façade
Antwerp City Hall's façade is instantly recognisable. What lies behind its monumental doors? This Antwerp City Hall virtual tour takes visitors from the Grote Markt into the building's rooms, artworks and architectural details. They can look around at their own pace, choose where to go and discover the stories behind what they see.
The project was commissioned for the reopening after the building's restoration. Working through Digipolis, the City of Antwerp commissioned a new virtual tour to present the renewed City Hall online, including spaces added to the visitor experience following the renovation.
Poppr created a tour in the city's visual identity, combining 360° photography, navigation and information connected to the place it describes. The result lets a visit begin long before someone arrives in Antwerp, with the building itself at the heart of the experience.
A video welcome in the entrance hall introduces the building and its story.
A familiar city identity, with room to explore
The experience opens directly in a browser. An overview lets visitors choose a floor or one of 15 viewpoints, while navigation within the images takes them further through the building. They can head straight to a particular room or take their time exploring from one space to the next.
The design follows Antwerp's digital visual identity. Its recognisable city logo, typography and colours frame the visit. The interface gives the photography room to breathe while showing visitors where they are and where they can find more information.
Poppr brought together photography, design and technical development. The City of Antwerp supplied the room and artwork content, brand assets and voiceovers. Integrating those contributions into the tour gives visitors both a sense of the spaces and context for the architecture and heritage around them.
The Pui Schoon Verdiep brings architectural detail together in a 360° view.
Historic interiors, seen from within
At the Pui Schoon Verdiep, the landing around the grand stairwell, stained glass, arches and painted walls draw the eye in different directions. A 360° view gives visitors control over what to explore. They can look up towards the glass roof, turn towards the gallery and see how the architectural elements relate to each other.
The Wedding Room offers a different atmosphere. Timber panelling, chandeliers, murals and a monumental fireplace define the space. The tour places visitors in the room, where they can take in these details as parts of a complete interior.
In the Mayor's Office, a working desk sits within a richly decorated historic setting. The fireplace and stained-glass windows provide further points of interest, with information hotspots inviting visitors to learn about selected details.
The overview also leads to the Leys Room, Council Room, Illuminated Floor (Verlicht Verdiep) and Campanile Tower. Together, these viewpoints reveal different sides of City Hall, from its ceremonial interiors to views of the surroundings.
Visitors can explore the Wedding Room and open information hotspots within the tour.
Read, listen and look around at your own pace
A striking interior invites questions. What is this room used for? What is the story behind an artwork? Information hotspots connect visible details with explanations without taking visitors out of the tour. Audio adds another way to discover the building at various viewpoints, and a video welcome introduces the visit in the entrance hall.
The language selection offers Dutch, French, German and English, alongside Antwerp dialect. This gives local residents and international visitors different ways into the same experience. The dialect option adds a distinctly local voice to the visit.
Visitors can simply enjoy a quick look inside or pause to explore something more closely. They decide how much information to take in, when to listen and when to move on to the next space.
The Mayor's Office is one of the viewpoints in the building tour.
A virtual heritage visit built around a real place
The result is an online visit to Antwerp City Hall that preserves the city's identity and puts its heritage in context. Visitors can use it to get a first impression, revisit a favourite room after coming in person or discover the building from afar.
For cities, heritage organisations and public building managers, the project demonstrates a practical approach to virtual tours for historic buildings. Bring the spaces, navigation and interpretation together around a clear visitor purpose. Help people understand what they are looking at and give them the freedom to follow their curiosity.
Explore how we brought the Royal Palace online and turned the Van Eyck exhibition into a virtual museum experience.
Want to open up your own heritage location online? Tell us about the building, who you want to reach and what you would like visitors to discover. We will help identify the spaces and stories that should shape the experience.
