The Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA) in the United Kingdom is part of an urban regeneration scheme intended to revitalize the heart of the city of Middlesbrough. Erick van Egeraat’s design won the international competition in 2002 as well as the Award of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2007.

The use of materials and scale respects and relates to the existing surroundings. White limestone and glass make the gallery a light, transparent and accessible building. The new public square, which is an integral part of the project, was designed in cooperation with West 8 landscape architects. The interplay of grass combined with a subtle pattern of oxidized metal panels creates connections across the square and gives the once neglected area a friendly and inviting appearance.

The foyer is the defining space within the gallery. Its height of more than 16 meters reveals a central staircase which is framed by a suspended stone curtain. Simultaneously, the foyer forms a transition between the gallery and public square. Interaction between the two spaces is stimulated by the enormous transparent facade, inviting visitors and inhabitants to embrace the museum as the heart of the new cultural quarter of Middlesbrough.