Last year, Democo realised the renovation of Het Steen in Antwerp. The well-known castle in the city centre was transformed into a tourist reception centre that stands midway between tradition and modernity. Het Steen has now won the 2022 Heritage Award. 

With the Onroerenderfgoedprijs, the Flemish government aims to highlight exceptional heritage projects. This year's edition focused on heritage that is publicly accessible. From 38 candidates, an external jury nominated the Steen as the laureate. 

During the construction of the Steen, quite a few people had expressed doubts about the chances of success of the marriage between the new building and the centuries-old castle. But once the scaffolding disappeared, it became clear that old and new fit together respectfully.

We are therefore rightly proud of this recognition, which of course is not just the Democo team's achievement. It is the result of a fine collaboration with client AG Vespa, partner Renotec, noAarchitecten and of course also the City of Antwerp.