The tunnels beneath Antwerp, Belgium have been forgotten by most of the half million residents. Constructed in the 1970s for a metro that never came to be, the tunnels have never been open to the public.

American architect Jon Martin has proposed a novel use for the abandoned area. He wants to transform the tunnels into an archaeological museum that doubles as an underground network connecting various buildings throughout the city. Staircases and walkways would be added to aid pedestrians make their way. A main gallery would be established to house architectural artifacts and reveal historic and foundational walls of the city.

These tunnels are exactly the kind of places we like to explore. With Martin's modifications, the tunnels would be given a new lease on life and would be made far more accessible to a much wider spectrum of explorers. Hopefully this project comes together.

Here are some of Martin's renderings of the museum.

Via: Design Boom & Web Urbanist