The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) is once again welcoming the public, following a grand reopening last fall.

For more than a decade, KMSKA – the biggest art museum in Flanders, with masterpieces from the Flemish primitives and Antwerp Baroque to the extensive collection of modern art – underwent a radical rebuilding and expansion.

Initially the plan was to reopen the museum section before completion of the remaining elements of the master plan. But the complexity and the interlacing of the works proved too great, and the museum’s doors were closed to the public in 2011 while the renovation took place.

The exceptional art collection was given a complete facelift, and the masterpieces have resumed their place in the museum rooms. And now the public can once again admire seven centuries of outstanding art in a completely new scenography.

“At the start of this new Flemish government, we were determined to free up the necessary resources for the complete execution of the master plan for the KMSKA. The public had waited long enough for the reopening. We decided to exhibit seven centuries of masterpieces in the best possible circumstances. Thanks to this extensive renovation and expansion, the KMSKA can resume its place among the leading European art museums,” said Jan Jambon, Minister-President of the Government of Flanders.

Special touches at the revamped KMSKA include a new garden, where carefully selected sculptures beckon visitors to make their first acquaintance with the rich collection of the museum. The garden is an artistic retreat for neighbours and visitors, and an oasis of calm in the middle of bustling Zuid.

Museum officials said they want KMSKA to be an inviting place for every visitor, with a focus explicitly on experience, hospitality and creativity.

“Thanks to the ingenious intervention by KAAN Architects, the KMSKA is gaining 40% more exhibition space without impacting the structure of the historic building. Together, the new and the historic sections give the museum a strong and exciting dynamic. The architecture reinforces the experience, which is what we will be focusing on in this museum. The new museum will be an open house where every visitor can enjoy, discover, participate and experience without any obstacle. We have set ourselves the aim of evoking the finest feeling in our visitors. That feeling can have many dimensions and layers, just like the stories that we will be telling in the museum,” said Luk Lemmens, chair of KMSKA non-profit organization.

KMSKA’s reopening also includes a completely renewed website. Tickets can be purchased for individuals or groups, with group reservations available.

KMSKA’s reopening was supported by the city of Antwerp and EventFlanders: a partnership of Visit Flanders, the Flanders Department of Culture, Youth and Media, the Sports Flanders Agency and the Flanders Department of Chancellery and Foreign Affairs.

KMSKA’s site is KMSKA.be.