M HKA at its current location on Waalsekaai. — © Jimmy Kets
Six candidate designers may develop a proposal for the new M HKA. The beneficiary of the design contract will be announced in early 2025.
READ ALSO. City draws up RUP, Flanders seeks architect: “New M HKA will be an open and robust building”
A selection committee put together a shortlist of six candidate designers from 54 entries. The selection is a mix of Flemish and international architects, with one exclusively Flemish team, three international teams and two mixed Flemish-international teams.
Antwerp’s Bovenbouw Architectuur is joining forces with Christ & Gantenbein from Switzerland, while Office Kersten Geers David Van Severen from Brussels is working with the American SO–IL Office. Robbrecht en Daem architects, Dierendonckblancke architects and Laura Muyldermans form an entirely Flemish team.
An award committee will assess the tenders during the course of the year. The Flemish government will announce the beneficiary of the design contract in early 2025. The publication for the appointment of a contractor and the elaboration of the project will follow in the next legislature.
Open space
“The new museum will provide the collection space that M HKA currently lacks in a contemporary architectural setting,” says Bart De Baere, general and artistic director of M HKA. “It will also give a full place to the film-museum operation and provide space for social interaction and events. In this way, the museum becomes an open, public-oriented space.”
Last year, the Flemish government allocated 130 million euros for the construction of a new museum for contemporary art in Antwerp. That will take the place of the court of appeal. The city of Antwerp is working on plans for the project site. Based on the results of the high-rise report, it was decided not to realize part of the project on this site. M HKA will have another research center in the immediate vicinity of the new museum.
READ ALSO. The Flemish government has a budget of 130 million euros for new construction of M HKA
Tags: candidates design museum building HKA mix Flemish international architects Antwerp
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