The Judges Awards

06.3 MAS Museum, Belgium, by Neutelings Riedijk

Neutelings Riedijk's Museum Aan de Stroom in Antwerp, formed from stacked boxes with façades of Indian stone, is designed to resemble a vast wharfside warehouse. Visitors are led up the spirally arranged structure through a series of exhibits on the city's history, with opportunities to break out into dramatic viewing galleries featuring ribbons of floor-to-ceiling glass. The façade is marked with the cast handprints of the building's contributors, and artist Luc Tuymans designed the square in front. For a week in May this year the public could take a guided tour, but it is now closed for the installation of nearly half a million exhibits, and should officially open again in May 2011.

Key features: 60m-tall spiralling beacon with dramatic glass viewing galleries

Architects' previous work: Minnaert University Building, Utrecht; Shipping and Transport College, Rotterdam

Based: Rotterdam

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