Archinect - News2024-05-10T00:08:20-04:00https://archinect.com/news/article/150325099/peek-inside-the-slick-new-gallery-spaces-at-the-reopened-royal-museum-of-fine-arts-antwerp
Peek inside the slick new gallery spaces at the reopened Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp Nathaniel Bahadursingh2022-09-28T13:16:00-04:00>2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00
<img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/bd/bd8b27af457413f20c64e214bc1ed0cb.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>Today, it appears unchanged from the outside. But an entirely new building has been inserted within the existing footprint. Twenty-first century white cube galleries have been incorporated into the original structure, increasing the exhibition space by 40%.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Following a major 11-year-long, $96 million <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/6766/restoration" target="_blank">restoration</a> led by Rotterdam-based firm <a href="https://archinect.com/kaanarchitecten" target="_blank">KAAN Architecten</a>, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) finally reopened in <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/6265/belgium" target="_blank">Belgium</a>.</p>
<figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/97/97a97544862ccbd9d185eee7f97cedd2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/97/97a97544862ccbd9d185eee7f97cedd2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Photo: Karin Borghouts</figcaption></figure><p>KAAN Architecten’s work combined a renovation of the 19th-century neoclassical museum building, originally designed by Belgian architects Jean-Jacques Winders and Frans Van Dijk, with the addition of a contemporary extension nestled within the original structure. The firm revived the original colors, materials, and routing of the historic space. </p>
<figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/29/29fc42ceaa937546a9ed3a7ffe5b37cc.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/29/29fc42ceaa937546a9ed3a7ffe5b37cc.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Photo: Karin Borghouts</figcaption></figure><p>The new interior building is defined by white exhibition halls, long staircases, hidden rooms, and daylight provided through four light wells.<br></p>
<p>Take a look at interior shots of the new gallery spaces below.</p>
<figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/f1/f1e135b7728e20ed16ebc6b190b5a9da.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/f1/f1e135b7728e20ed16ebc6b190b5a9da.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Photo: Karin Borghouts</figcaption></figure><figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/c5/c5ac7ebb83c9674549c056da309b7e85.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/c5/c5ac7ebb83c9674549c056da309b7e85.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Photo: Karin Borghouts</figcaption></figure><figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/be/be6e50e1e1f325850d65ceed5923eedd.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/be/be6e50e1e1f325850d65ceed5923eedd.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Photo: Karin Borghouts</figcaption></figure><figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/a2/a231bacb58093061459d9ba4aff8091d.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/a2/a231bacb58093061459d9ba4aff8091d.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Photo: Karin Borghouts</figcaption></figure><figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/0a/0acb5a34498d86792296cc637b37b5fa.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/0a/0acb5a34498d86792296cc637b37b5fa.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Photo: Karin Borghouts</figcaption></figure><figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/d1/d124a8577708772a14eb7795efaaf00f.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/d1/d124a8577708772a14eb7795efaaf00f.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Photo: Karin Borghouts</figcaption></figure><figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/f1/f132575ff1fb0bcc922c3dfbe35c2e75.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/f1/f132575ff1fb0bcc922c3dfbe35c2e75.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Photo: Karin Borghouts</figcaption></figure><figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/1a/1a03b47c2fec2402000f526aeef0814a.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/1a/1a03b47c2fec2402000f526aeef0814a.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Photo: Karin Borghouts</figcaption></figure><figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/e2/e216459f6b38b0eeafba84a2a2c08c85.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/e2/e216459f6b38b0eeafba84a2a2c08c85.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Photo: Karin Borghouts</figcaption></figure>