De Roma

The building, designed by Alphonse Pauwels, was originally constructed in 1927 as a 2,000-seat cinema (the largest in Antwerp) with flats above.

[1] De Roma became a popular music venue in the 1970s, with big names from Britain and America performing there on European tours, but closed in 1982.

The building was classified as a monument in 2002[1] and reopened as a cultural centre and performance venue on 15 May 2003 after initial restoration by volunteers.

[2] It was closed for three months in the summer of 2015 for further renovations which cost 2.8 million euros, financed by the region, the city, the district and a non-profit foundation, and were carried out with the aid of 400 volunteers.

[3] In 2016 the restoration was awarded the first annual prize for built heritage.