The Rijksmuseum has been housed in the current building, designed by Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers (1827 – 1921), since 1885. The building endured more than a century of intensive use before major renovation plans were put in place.
Spanish architects Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos of Seville have transformed the 19th century building into a museum for the 21st century. Parisian museum designer Jean-Michel Wilmotte has devised the interior design for the galleries, fusing 19th-century grandeur with modern design.
Description Rijksmuseum Ámsterdam.-
Design Overview
Following a European tender process, Spanish architects Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos of Seville were chosen by a committee chaired by the chief government architect Jo Coenen to lead the transformation of the Rijksmuseum. Cruz y Ortiz proposed minimal alterations to the building itself. The firm has recreated the clear layout conceived by the museum’s original architect, Pierre Cuypers, stripping the building of its later additions to ensure that it is once again a coherent whole.
The result transforms the 19th-century building into a bright and spacious 21st-century museum. The new Rijksmuseum features an impressive new entrance area; a new Asian Pavilion; a new outdoor exhibition space and garden; state-of-the-art facilities including new dining spaces, a shop, a restored library and auditorium; renewed education facilities, a new service entrance, a separate building for the conservation of the collection; and climate-control and security features, which are in line with today’s requirements.
Also restored to their former glory are the high-ceilinged, spacious, late 19th-century galleries. In keeping with the plan to restore the building where possible, the original monumental ornaments that decorated the walls and ceilings will be returned to the Gallery of Honour, the Grand Hall, the Night Watch Gallery and the stairwells. Cuypers‘ hallmark is best preserved in the library where the original design and ornaments have largely been maintained.
The French interior architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, whose work for the Louvre has earned him international acclaim, was invited to devise the interior design for the transformed Rijksmuseum. He has created all display elements for the galleries that complement the restored 19th-century museum, including the display cases, plinths, lighting and furniture. In consultation with Cruz y Ortiz, Wilmotte has also determined the interior colour scheme, which has been inspired by Pierre Cuypers’ palette for the building.
Atrium
Cruz y Ortiz has created an impressive new entrance area suitable for the needs of a leading international museum. The museum’s two inner courtyards have now been opened up, with the removal of galleries that were added in the 1950s and 1960s. A two-part, 2,250 square-metre Atrium has been created by sinking the floor of the two courtyards below ground level and connecting them via an underground zone beneath the original passageway through the building. The Atrium can be accessed from the passageway, which features glass walls through which passersby can admire the view of the courtyards.
The Atrium features large glass-covered roofs and pale polished Portuguese stone floors that reflect the natural light, making the voluminous courtyard spaces feel airy and bright. Overlooking the courtyards are the warm brick façades of the surrounding museum buildings, interspersed with windows and niches.
The light-filled Atrium is a welcoming space in the heart of the museum and can be accessed by all visitors even without a ticket. Located within the entrance area are a café, the ticketing booth and a cloakroom.
Asian Pavilion
Designed by Cruz y Ortiz, the free-standing Asian Pavilion is situated facing the Museumplein in the garden to the south of the Rijksmuseum and is surrounded by water. The irregular-shaped, two-storey structure stands out against the red brick walls of the Rijksmuseum, with its walls faced in pale Portuguese stone and glass. It is characterised by many sloping walls and unusual sightlines. The pavilion is linked to the main building via an underground passageway.
The Atelier Building
Developed by the Government Buildings Agency and commissioned by the Rijksmuseum and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), the Atelier Building is the first structure by Cruz y Ortiz to be completed as part of the Rijksmuseum renovation.
