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The MAS Musuem Aan der Straam (Museum at the Stream) is the latest tourist attraction in Belgium’s port city of Antwerp. Its facade, built using Dholpur red sandstone, the ones used in construction of historic monuments such as Red Fort and Agra Fort, has turned the building into a landmark.
Globally, Indian natural stones are preferred for their colour and texture. While black granites are popular in the construction of monuments, tombs and cemeteries, coloured stones have been used in buildings such as the Changi airport in Singapore, Hauptwache Metro Station in Germany, and the Bruce Lee Memorial in the US. Nearly 2,700 tonnes of red sandstone from Dholpur in eastern Rajasthan were shipped in 100 containers to Antwerp over three years to construct the museum located between Willem Dock and Bonaparte Dock.
The project was a big challenge since the architect visualised a 3-D building where he aspired for a colour variation beyond the normally available natural stones from one pit, says Jyoti Kapila, General Manager of Belgian Tile Centre, which imported the sandstone. Red Agra and chocolate-coloured stones were used; from the first shipment in 2007 till the end of the project in 2011, this colour selection was maintained, she says. Designed by architects Neutelings and Riedijk, the radiant red MAS tower is covered with 3,000 hands in aluminium, which sparkle in the sunlight. The design was inspired by a 16{+t}{+h} century storehouse or ‘Hanzehuis.’
The galleries are stacked up like boxes, creating a spiral tower in glass. Go up on the escalator to the ninth floor and you get a sweeping view of the constantly changing view of Antwerp’s city, port and river.
(The writer was in Antwerp at the invitation of the Antwerp Port Authority.)
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