The Antwerp City Council has approved the architectural assignment for the Antwerp Collection Center, a new building that will house the city's extensive heritage collection. In addition to storage and management, the building will provide public access to art treasures, promote specialized expertise, and implement an active restoration policy. The city is also committed to innovation and sustainability, aiming to create a passive building with a minimal ecological footprint.
Antwerp manages numerous museums, heritage institutions, and archaeological items, but only a small portion of the heritage collection is currently on display. The majority is stored in various depots that are not accessible to the public. This storage method poses significant challenges, including building issues, suboptimal storage practices, capacity limitations, and unsustainable management costs.
After conducting a feasibility study, the city has decided to establish a new Antwerp Collection Center. This central building will ensure the safe, efficient, and dynamic management of the collection under optimal and future-proof storage conditions. The collection will be available for consultation and, whenever possible, made accessible to the public. The city intends to implement an active restoration policy and promote specialized expertise.
Culture Alderman Nabilla Ait Daoud : "With the plans for the Antwerp Collection Center, we are creating a large depot that represents the physical memory of the city. Our numerous museums and heritage institutions manage an impressive cultural heritage, encompassing a wide range of objects from everyday items to grand artworks, including pieces by renowned artists such as Rubens and Jordaens. Together, these objects form the history of Antwerp. It is our responsibility to carefully preserve this rich cultural heritage and pass it on to future generations."
Image : Google earth
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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