The glimpse of the gently curving facade of this building which passers-by catch from the entrance to a narrow alleyway may attract them into the urban space beyond. Here, they are confronted with the 100-metre-long glazed front of the museum (due to open in April 2000). The dominant element visible through the transparent facade is an elegantly curving concrete staircase in the foyer. With a radius of 3.5 m at the base, diminishing to 3.1 m on the upper floor, the staircase cantilevers out by up to 3 m and spirals up around a solid internal balustrade. It serves not only as a circulation route, but as a place of communication, where visitors may also pause and observe the activities going on in the square outside.