The former port administration is now a haven for the arts
Also since the late 13th century, the building once erected as a port administration in neo-Gothic style was located on the large market square. After Bruges could no longer be reached directly from the sea due to the silting up of the Zwin estuary into the North Sea in the 16th century, the building was demolished in 1787 and replaced by a neoclassical structure. From 1850 until the fire of 1878, the provincial government of West Flanders resided here. From 1887 to 1920, a neo-gothic building was erected again, which was used as a municipal assembly hall until 1999. Today the building is mainly used for exhibitions and ceremonies, in 2012 the sale to private investors failed due to the fierce resistance of the citizens of Bruges.
