MAS

MAS, Bonapartedok, het Eilandje, Antwerp, Belgium.
The architects: www.neutelings-riedijk.com

The MAS (Museum aan de Stroom) is located on an island (het Eilandje) in the heart of the old harbour close to the city centre. It will house 3 different collections (the Volkskundemuseum, the National Maritime museum and partly Het Vleeshuis). The new museum was a winning design of an open architecture competition, a 60m high tower with stacked exhibition spaces, in total 10 storeys. Each level is twisted 90 degrees to for a giant spiral. This glazed space becomes a vertical galleria. Elevators guide the visitors to the top of the building in a journey through the history of Antwerp and trough the panoramas of the city. On the upper floor a restaurant, a conference room and a sky deck are situated. Square, docks and tower are designed to form one continuous space for exhibitions and events. The stacked concept refers to the old warehouses where goods were packed and stacked. Now Antwerp's history, traditions, artefacts, stories and objects are stacked in one new warehouse.