MAS Nationaal Scheepvaartmuseum

Geschiedenis

The Museum aan de Stroom is a museum located along the river Scheldt in the Eilandje district of Antwerp, Belgium. It opened in May 2011 and is the largest museum in Antwerp.HistoryIn 1998 the Antwerp city council decided to build the museum at the Hanzestedenplaats. On 14 September 2006 the first brick of the building was laid. In 2010 museum objects arrived from various other museums like the Etnographic Museum and the Maritime Museum, which both ceased to exist. The museum opened for the public on 17 May 2011.DesignThe 60 metre high MAS was designed by Neutelings Riedijk Architects. The façade is made of Indian red sandstone and curved glass panel construction. It is an example of postmodern Art Deco architecture. The MAS houses 470,000 objects, most of which are kept in storage. The first visitor's gallery is the "visible store", which contains 180,000 items. The building is located on the spot where the Hanzehuis used to stand. International merchants worked and resided at the Hanzehuis. In the nineteenth century a fire destroyed the building.Collection and exhibitionsThe central focus of the MAS is Antwerp and its many aspects. The main themes are Metropolis, Power, Life and Death, and Antwerp's long history as a major international port. The museum is committed to informing the public using new media. Through the QR codes placed next to most of the exhibits, visitors can access website information in five languages: English, Dutch, French, German and Spanish.From March to June 2013, an exhibition entitled Bonaparte at the Scheldt was held at the MAS. The exhibition commemorated Napoleon Bonaparte's involvement with Antwerp from 1803.