Inside the 19th century museum there is now a very special secret...
Straight lines, very white and reflective spaces as if from the future . The extension of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, " hidden " within the exhibition center itself, it has nothing to do with its neoclassical construction. However, from the Belgian firm Kaan Architecten they have managed to make sense of the dialogue between the two structures.
Built in the 19th century, the Museum of Fine Arts was conceived as an exhibition space that took advantage of daylight by the architects Winders and Vandyck . During the 20th century, however, the building suffered many fundamental changes in the layout, modifying its use of light, the original circulation route and the connection with the city. From Kaan Architecten they have begun to reverse these changes by restoring the intrinsic qualities of the space to the restore original colors, materials, and paths inside the historic halls. Now, the rooms are tinted dark pink, green and red ; the oak doors have regained their splendor; the tall columns and plaster ceiling adornments convey a sense of ancient grandeur.
The old rooms have regained their splendor
Parallel to these changes, the center has seen the birth a new hidden area in the heart of the old building, a vertical museum -with 23 meters from floor to ceiling- , which is a completely self-contained entity built within the original four courtyards. With bright white showrooms hidden rooms long stairs , long-range sight lines and different gradations of natural light, the new museum traces a route full of surprising vertical experiences.
To create a dialogue between the two spaces, wherever the new extension "cuts" the solid mass of the museum, subtle marble inlays have been added that echo the elegant materiality of the 19th century construction. "These contrasting yet dialoguing entities coexist like two different worlds in one building, sharing the ability to reveal themselves little by little. The experience is never predictable and always balanced; both routes are challenging and at the service of art ", they explain from Kaan Architecten.
Marble helps create a dialogue between contemporary and ancient rooms
The center not yet open to the public , as other work is also being carried out, including the scenery, the museum garden and the creation of a new artistic mosaic at the entrance. When it is ready, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp will exhibit yet another reason, beyond its fascinating works of art, to visit.