Not all art from the Middelheim Museum is displayed in the sculpture park. The collection pavilion also showcases works from the depot. Glansbeton executed the polished concrete floors in this pavilion.
LocationAntwerp
Executed by GlansbetonPolished concrete floors
The project
Another side of the Middelheim Museum
The Middelheim Museum is known for its sculptures in the greenery. The collection pavilion also provides space for works that are stored and displayed indoors. It is conceived as an open depot, with a layout that can change.
The polished concrete floor forms a calm base there. The space, the incoming light and the artworks together determine what the visitor sees. A floor with its own material pattern does not need to be prominently in the foreground.
The execution is also part of the story
The photos show the floor during the construction period. They provide an insight into the concrete surface and the connections before the space was fully furnished.
We take the experience from such buildings to other assignments. Even for a home, we discuss the finish, the joints and the connections to the rest of the interior in advance. See our polished concrete floors or tell us what you want to achieve yourself.
The hidden collection of the Middelheim Museum
The Middelheim Museum is mainly known for the collection in the art park. But there is also a hidden collection: just over 80% of the artworks are stored in depots, closed off to visitors. These are works less or not suitable for presentation in the park, but which the museum has acquired due to its original mission: to provide an international overview of modern sculpture, from the great pioneers at the end of the nineteenth century to the present day.
In addition, there are the so-called supporting collections with models and maquettes, drawings and graphics, media art and photography. And there are sculptures in the storage areas that were intended for outdoors but proved better suited for indoors. In the collection pavilion you (re)discover these hidden pieces from the Middelheim Museum’s collection. It is set up as an open depot with a functional, changeable arrangement where you can get acquainted with unknown or lesser-known artworks from the museum’s collection.
The polished concrete floors in this pavilion were executed by Glansbeton.
The collection pavilion in images
In this video from the Middelheim Museum, you get an impression of the collection pavilion and the art displayed there. Together with our site photos, this provides an image of the building for which Glansbeton executed the polished concrete floors.
Video: Middelheim Museum. The images show the installation at the time of recording. Watch the video on YouTube.
A sculpture park with a long history
The Middelheim Museum is a free open-air museum on the edge of the city. A sculpture park of 30 hectares in the Middelheim section of the Nachtegalenpark near Antwerp. The Middelheim section is known for its sculpture park, which originated from the 'Middelheim Biennale', held every two years in the park since 1951. The Middelheim Museum is one of the oldest and most remarkable open-air museums in Europe.
In a unique setting, the open-air museum offers a fascinating overview of more than a hundred years of visual art. Walk through the sculpture art from Rodin to today. The sculpture park combines art and greenery in an environment that invites you to stroll around. Each year, the museum invites contemporary artists to engage in dialogue with the permanent collection and the park environment. This results in striking performances and impressive exhibitions featuring both renowned names and young talents.
An axis of 750 metres runs through the park along Middelheim Castle over Middelheimlaan to the Hortiflora. This former flower garden of the Nachtegalenpark became part of the Middelheim Museum in 2012.
Why an open depot is a different kind of space
In an open depot, you not only see a finished exhibition. The collecting and preservation of art also become visible. A functional, changeable arrangement provides space for works that would not come into their own well outdoors. As a result, you discover another side of the museum collection than during a walk through the park.
The concrete floor is the substrate beneath that arrangement. In our project photos you see the surface still in the construction context, before the full interior was installed. That distinction is important: the photos show our floor execution and the connections in the building, not necessarily the current location of the artworks.
Inside the collection pavilion
These overview images complement our construction photos. You can see how the concrete floor connects to the wall structure, the passages and the daylight entering high in the space.
Assessing a concrete floor in its environment
With an exposed floor, the environment plays a major role. Large glass sections, the light at different times of the day, and the colours of walls and furnishings influence how you experience the concrete. That is why we show both overview photos and images of connections and different spaces.
The experience with this public space is also relevant when we discuss a floor for a home. It always starts with the plans, the desired finish and the daily use. The photos from Middelheim can help clarify the look you want, without assuming that every building requires the same technical floor construction.
Visiting the collection pavilion
Would you like to view the project in its environment? Before your visit, check the current opening hours and accessibility on the Middelheim Museum website. The installation in the pavilion may change.
What do you want to achieve yourself?
Send us your plans, surface area and desired timing. Or call us at 013 55 33 62. We are happy to discuss which execution suits your project.
Concrete floors at Collectiepaviljoen Middelheim