Over the course of its existence, the task of the museum has grown beyond its initial concept: to be a public house of arts. Today, additional program like depots, educational facilities, libraries, restoration rooms,... have invaded the public circuit, rendering it fragmented and incomprehensible.
The proposal activates the duality of the program. The public route –the front-side of the museum- is freed up to regain its conceptual clarity. The supporting program – the backside- is given clarity of its own by radically redefining the former courtyards. Thematically developed, these shafts penetrate all public levels, creating new links and programmatic encounters. Combined with a new underground extension at the back of the museum, these shafts form a hidden upgrade of the museum’s performance.