Stadschouwburg Antwerpen

In the early 1990s, the Antwerp city council, under the leadership of Mayor Bob Cools, decided to convert the large hall of the Stadsschouwburg from 800 to 2,060 seats. Thereupon the KNS, now Toneelhuis, moved to the Bourlaschouwburg and the Stadsschouwburg became vacant.

In 1994, Geert Allaert received a concession from Flanders Eventhall and its subsidiary Antwerps Muziek Theater nv, now Music Hall, to use parts of the Stadsschouwburg. Four years later, a decisive intervention gave the main hall its proper use. The roof of the building came off and the capacity of the great hall was increased to 2,060 seats. The new larger capacity combined with a mega stage (40 × 40 meters + 82 stages + 2 side stages + spacious backstage + loading and unloading dock + elevators + rotating stage) made the Stadsschouwburg the largest theater with stage tower in Flanders and attracted the big musicals and ballets to Flanders.