Wintertuin (Jardin d'hiver)

Built between 1895 and 1897 by architect Émile Thielens, the Wintertuin at Antwerp Zoo, the world's oldest zoo still in operation, reflects the pioneering use of large metal structures at the end of the 19th century. Designed in an eclectic style paired with a ballroom and a grand ceremonial staircase, the building originally combined a winter garden, reading room, restaurant, and billiard room for the zoo's wealthy visitors. Damaged during the Second World War and then by a fire in 1947, it has been restored and altered several times since. Today, its glass hall hosts events and, seasonally, a tropical butterfly garden that brings plant life back to this iron-and-glass architecture. The Wintertuin remains a rare surviving example of Belle Époque winter gardens in Belgium.