New museum

The Flemish government has appointed Belgian firm Bovenbouw Architectuur and Swiss studio Christ & Gantenbein to design the ambitious new building for the Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (M HKA).

The city of Antwerp has approved the preliminary design for the new spatial implementation plan (RUP) of the Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (M HKA). The ambition is to create an iconic building that strengthens the cultural core of the Het Zuid district and forms a link between the Scheldt quays and the Gedempte Zuiderdokken.

The Minister of Culture has appointed six candidate designers who will be tasked with developing their proposals for the new museum building for M HKA over the course of this year. This new building marks a new era for M HKA and serves as a crucial means for further advancing the Flemish contemporary visual arts sector and enhancing its international visibility.

Do you know the masterpiece by the Chinese artist Wang Du in the collection of the Flemish Community, or the groundbreaking multimedia installations that established Yang Fudong as a symbol of the Shanghai art scene? In recent years, the collection of the Flemish Community has received considerable attention, especially for its emphasis on artists from Flanders.  The fact that Flanders possesses a top collection of international contemporary art has often been overlooked until now. This is set to change.

The Flemish government has approved the updated project budget for the study and construction of a new M HKA, totalling 130 million euros. Additionally, the government has made a call for a design team for the new building.