The House

The House is a small exhibition pavilion in Middelheim Museum in Antwerp, designed by the architecture practice Robbrecht en Daem. It was built to host temporary art exhibitions in the part of the park known as Hortiflora, a garden extension of the museum's main open-air sculpture grounds. The Dutch name "Het Huis" refers to the building's silhouette, which — despite its open, semi-transparent structure — still recalls the archetypal shape of a house with a pitched roof.

What does the structure look like?

The pavilion stands on a base of polished concrete, raised slightly above ground level, which visually separates it from the surrounding greenery and protects the artworks displayed inside from moisture. On top of this platform rises a light steel construction painted green, a color that blends into the park's vegetation while catching and reflecting sunlight. The overall effect is a structure that feels almost transparent — closer to an architectural sketch than a solid building.

Where does the light and the entrances come from?

A defining feature of The House is its four vertical recesses cut into the volume, which serve both as entrances and as sources of natural light. These openings divide the pavilion's interior into four sections and create diagonal lines of passage, letting visitors move freely between Middelheim Park and the Hortiflora garden. At night, or whenever the artwork inside needs protection, these openings can be closed off with steel lattice screens patterned to resemble a mesh of branches. When light filters through this lattice, it casts dappled shadows across the interior and floor, echoing the effect of sunlight passing through a tree canopy — a deliberate architectural nod to the natural setting around it.

What is the pavilion's purpose and concept?

The House is neither a residence nor a permanent gallery; it is an exhibition space designed for artworks that need partial shelter from the elements while remaining in close contact with the surrounding park. The architects intentionally blurred the line between inside and outside: with four open passages and a transparent, perforated structure, the pavilion is never fully closed nor fully open. This interplay of contrasts — enclosed versus expansive, sheltered versus exposed — is the central theme of the design. As a result, the building functions not only as a practical display space but also as an architectural commentary on the very idea of shelter and home.

Why is The House worth seeing at Middelheim?

Middelheim Museum is one of Europe's largest and oldest sculpture parks, and The House stands out within it as one of the few purely architectural structures, purpose-built for this specific site. Visitors can appreciate both the pavilion itself — its interplay of light, color and transparency — and the way it stitches the landscape together, linking the older part of the park with the newer Hortiflora garden. For anyone interested in architecture, it is an example of contemporary design where the building's form responds directly to the character of its surroundings.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed The House? The pavilion was designed by the architecture firm Robbrecht en Daem architecten.

Where exactly is The House located? In the part of Middelheim Museum in Antwerp known as Hortiflora, on the border with Middelheim Park.

Can visitors enter The House? Yes, the pavilion has four open entrances leading into its interior, which is used for temporary exhibitions.

What materials was the pavilion built from? A polished concrete base topped with a light, green-painted steel structure and lattice screens that close off the openings.