to both immigrants and those seeking a bohemian lifestyle. The rock bottom prices, for example, made it possible for Anny De Dekker to open the “Wide White Space Gallery” (1966–1976) on the ground floor of Het Bootje, an architecturally eclectic house on the corner of Schildersstraat and Plaatsnijdersstraat, and now a listed monument. The Southern Docks were filled in 1968 and 1969, and became parking space. A new building for the Court of Appeals was built on the former access to these docks. This and the demolition of the Hippodrome in 1972 sealed the fate of “het Zuid” as a forgotten area of town with only a certain faded charm to offer. Eventually the fundamentally good quality of the housing stock combined with the area’s inherent attractions, changing attitudes toward urban living, and the impetus provided by International Rubens year in 1977, which brought hundreds of visitors to South Antwerp, led to a revival in fortunes. Museums Royal Museum of Fine Arts The building dates from 1890 and was constructed specifically to house the city's growing collection of art. The collection includes many Dutch and Belgian masterpieces from the 15th century onwards by artists such as Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Rembrandt and Rubens as well as several works by Ensor, Magritte and Delvaux. Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst Antwerpen This is the contemporary art museum of the city and one of the largest of its kind in Belgium. The museum holds a permanent collection of contemporary art by Belgian and international artists, a cinema and a specialized library. The architect responsible for the transformation of a former grainstore into a museum in (1987) was Michel Grandsard. He also designed the museum's new wing (1997). Since 1992 the director of the museum has been Bart de Baere. Fotomuseum This museum has a historical and contemporary collection of photography that is given a new presentation every year. Alongside the collection are frequently changing photography exhibitions, film projections and lectures. It also publishes a magazine "FMM" in Dutch, that presents articles on photography with a particular emphasis on fine art photography. The museum opened in 2004. Monuments Several of the area's squares are graced with public monuments. These include a statue on the Marnixplaats, a fountain on the Lambermontplaats, and a statue on the Baron Dhanislei. Of more general interest, however, is the "Waterpoort" (Water Gate), based on a design by