National Bank of Belgium sells iconic Antwerp building

The National Bank of Belgium (NBB) is auctioning off its premises in Antwerp, after closing its branch in the country's second-largest city at the end of last year.

Luc Dufresne, the NBB secretary-general, explained the closure was part of the "longstanding process of rationalising our branch office network". In the past 20 years the central bank has closed 19 branches.

The main drivers for this process, Dufresne explained, were the automation of currency handling and the introduction of the euro. Belgium was one of the founding members of the eurozone.

The NBB now retains four branches, in Liège, Hasselt, Kortrijk and Mons, in addition to its head office in Brussels.

Before it was closed, the Antwerp branch held 65 members of staff. Dufresne explained that the majority have relocated to the head office or the Hasselt branch.

The iconic building was designed by the architect Henrik Beyaert, who later appeared on the 100-franc note. Construction began in 1875 and the NBB moved into the premises on December 1, 1879.

A presentation of the building published by the central bank notes that "in line with the city's 19th-century expansion plan, a building of monumental allure was called for", and comments on "the staggering amount of columns and pilasters" embedded in the three corner sections of the building.

While the site of the building is public domain, the building itself belongs to the central bank, which will receive the proceeds from the eventual sale of the property.