noAarchitecten . Sergison Bates architects . EM2N
The new M HKA will be a place that opens itself up to the city. No thresholds, no distance.
A generous exhibition hall—the Hangar—a spacious, public hall where everyone is welcome. A space for both production and presentation.
The Hangar is unpretentious, relaxed, a modern agora where people gather for a diverse programme.
Most museums sit on pedestals. They echo the temples of Antiquity—you approach them via stairs and slopes.
Ours is built on the ground. Come in—it’s yours.
The building bridges two parts of the city: the Scheldt quays and the South Park.
It is porous, accessible from all sides. The public space flows in and out.
A plinth and a tower—together they form a powerful ensemble, an infrastructure that can be used in many ways.
Four cores in the open corners give rise to a clear structure of stacked levels with interconnected rooms and platforms.
It allows for curatorial flexibility, different orientations, and to permanently reinvent itself.
The tower becomes a new beacon in the city. Its silhouette recalls a harbour silo.
The façade is alive — it transforms with the light and direction.
Underground, the former lock is given a new purpose.
As found, it becomes an additional exhibition space, rich in character and history.
With M HKA’s ambition to become a third place, we envision the museum of tomorrow as a Great Good Place — a term coined by Ray Oldenburg in his 1989 book of the same name, describing public spaces where people truly feel at home.
What a future!
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147 M HKA Antwerp
The Great Good Place
Procedure Competition
Client Flemish Government + M HKA
Surface 18.000 m²
Phase competition
Date 2024
