News

KMSKA reopens on 25 September 2022

On 25 September 2022, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) will reopen its doors to the public, after a radical rebuilding and expansion during the last 10 years. The exceptional art collection has also been given a complete facelift. In exactly one year, the public will be able to admire seven centuries of outstanding art in a completely new scenography.
KMSKA heropent
Photo Sophie Dédée

Master plan

In 2004, KAAN Architects in Rotterdam were appointed to develop a master plan for the KMSKA. The museum doors were closed to the public in 2011. The ambitious master plan would take place in several stages, spread out over time. The plan was initially to reopen the museum section before the completion of the remaining elements of the master plan. The complexity and the interlacing of the works proved too great. Therefore, The Flemish government was determined to free up the necessary resources for the complete execution of the master plan for the KMSKA.

Thanks to this extensive renovation and expansion, the KMSKA can resume its place among the leading European art museums.
Jan Jambon, Minister-President of the Government of Flanders

The final touches

The last sub-projects of the master plan have now all been started or are nearing completion:

• The new garden (designer: Team Van Meer!) reveals itself as the first museum room. Carefully selected sculptures invite visitors to make their first acquaintance with the rich collection of the KMSKA.
• The office wing at the rear of the building is being renovated.
• In the Rubens and Van Dyck room, gilt decoration is being applied to the cornices. These rooms will regain their former charm.
• Soon, a start will also be made on the roofing of the De Keyser hall.
• A new loading platform will be implemented, allowing art to be moved by professional means.
• The final item in this project is the installation of the museum scenography (designer: RDAC, Robbrecht and Daem architects & Asli Ciçek) and of course the relocation of the collection.

The KMSKA wants to be a warm place for every visitor. The museum wants to move everyone, whether they are knowledgeable or not. And that is why the focus is explicitly on experience, hospitality and creativity.

Renewed website

The most important milestones on the path to the reopening can be tracked on the museum website and on social media. For the collection section of the website, the KMSKA made use of the components of the digital infrastructure of the Flemish Art Collection.

Tags: KMSKA

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