Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp

BelgiumCompany Name: Muller Complete Afbouw België BV

Project description

Full renovation and expansion of museum

Drastic, comprehensive renovation and restauration of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp (Belgium). In addition to the work on the existing museum, four of the building’s historic patios were converted into new museum space, increasing the exhibition space by 40%. Thanks to all this work, the 19th-century KMSKA building is now future-proof. Two different worlds have been brought together in one building.

A difficult task

Specific technical requirements (bearing capacity, fire resistance, finishing, etc.) were set for this challenging renovation. Muller Complete Afbouw België succeeded in completing it to perfection, in close collaboration with Gyproc® and the architect, who monitored the detailed execution closely.

With its bright white exhibition halls, hidden rooms, long staircases, far-reaching sightlines and varying gradations of daylight, the new museum charts a route full of surprising vertical experiences, all made possible by the Gyproc® solutions.

Main information

Building size

20 000 m²

Building purpose / type

Museum

Building owner name

Government of Flanders
Department of Youth,
Culture and Media

Architect name

Kaan Architecten

Contractor

Company name: Muller Complete Afbouw België BV

Main Representative: Jef Ponsen

Number of collaborators: 30 persons (project management, calculations, sales, etc.), 250 regular subcontractors for carrying out on-site work

Specialties: Plasterboard walls and ceilings, Modular ceilings, Plasterwork

Founded in: June 2011

Biography: Set up in 2011 to serve the Belgian market. Specialists in plasterboard and plasterwork. Private projects, office developments, hospitals, rest homes, etc. Various target groups; large and small projects. Its knowledge, flexibility and project management set it apart.

Innovation Partner: Saint-Gobain Construction Products Belgium NV – GYPROC

Contractors: Muller Complete Afbouw België BV

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Key Challenges

Great heights – Ave. wall height: 7 metres – Max. wall height: 14 metres
Vast surfaces – Walls up to 50 metres in length
Bearing capacity – A specific wall structure, with reinforced profiles, was developed to cope with the heavy artworks
Fire resistance – Fire resistance requirements for public buildings. The wall structure was not simple owing to the height of the walls, and this posed a challenge in terms of execution and the requirement specific to Belgium
Details and finishing – Seamless finishing around lighting, etc., and perfectly smooth finishing of extremely high walls
22 different wall types – 22 different wall structures for dividing walls and wall facings, spread over multiple storeys
Timeframe for the renovation – 5 years
Huge budget
Climate control – To preserve the artworks in the best possible condition, climate controls were built into the walls in all rooms.
Transport – Owing to the historic nature of the building, no goods could be delivered through the window openings. All the materials had to be delivered through an opening in the roof or a ground-floor side entrance and then taken to the right location using the service lift.

Key Achievements

Installer, architect and Gyproc® collaborated closely
Development of new wall type, including bearing capacity testing
Execution of unique, challenging ceiling structure – fire test carried out specifically for this structure and project
High level of finishing
Excellent preparation and project execution – All the walls were numbered and delivered on the basis of the planning.