Antwerp’s Rubens House partially reopens at the end of August
The new reception building of the Rubens House in Antwerp will open at the end of August. The entrance is now on the Hopland street and no longer on the Wapper. The building gives access to a new ‘experience room’, a library and the baroque garden that has also been completely redesigned. The renovation of the famous baroque artist's residence will not be completed until 2030 at the earliest.
Early last year, the famous Rubens House in Antwerp, home of the great Flemish baroque master, Sir Peter Paul Rubens, closed for many years of renovations, but at the end of the summer holidays, part of the Rubens House site will reopen to the public.
Starting 30 August, visitors will be able to visit the brand-new reception building designed by the internationally renowned architectural firm Robbrecht and Daem. The building will provide access to the "Rubens Experience," an experience space including the redesigned baroque garden and the library.
'Rubens Experience'
At the 'Rubens Experience,' images and sounds bring the story of the baroque painter and diplomat, Sir Peter Paul Rubens, to life. Using videos and interactive tools, visitors can get to know him as never before and find out who the artist and the man behind the brush was.
In the library you will find thousands of publications, old books and archive documents on Rubens and other masters of Flemish art from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Rubens's garden has also been revamped. The Ars Horti study bureau drew up a new garden design and Antwerp fashion icon and garden enthusiast Dries Van Noten gave colour advice. In this way, visitors can fully enjoy the 17,500 colourful flowers and plants.
Later, the artist's residence and the Kolveniershof, the guild house of the arquebusiers, infantry soldiers armed with arquebuses or long guns, will be restored. But this opening is scheduled for 2030 at the earliest.
