Spanish architecture firm Cruz y Ortiz arquitectos has turned the19th-century building into a museum for the 21st century
Rijksmuseum opens after a ten year transformation After ten years of rebuilding, renovation and restoration, the new Rijksmuseum opens on 13 April 2013. Never before has a Dutch national museum undergone such a complete modernisation.]]>
April 12, 2013, source: Rijksmuseum
More than 30 galleries are dedicated to the glory of the Golden Age, when theyoung mercantile republic led the world in trade, science, military exploitsand the arts. At the heart of this will be the magnificently restored Gallery ofHonour, presenting world-famous works of art by Frans Hals, Jan Steen,Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt van Rijn.
The Rijksmuseum will also present a new group of galleries focused on the20th century. Paintings, furniture, photography, posters, film and anaeroplane will paint a picture of Dutch culture of the past century. Also onview for the first time are the Special Collections, where visitors can enjoyfamous and unexpected objects from the applied arts, science and nationalhistory, including a gallery with a number of model ships and an armoury.
A transformed building
The Rijksmuseum’s main building has been spectacularly renewed. Spanisharchitects, Cruz y Ortiz arquitectos of Seville, have recreated the clear layoutconceived by the museum’s original architect, Pierre Cuypers.
New Asian Pavilion
Surrounded by water, the glass and Portuguese stone façade of the AsianPavilion is characterised by many sloping walls and unusual sightlines. Themuseum’s rich collection of Asian art is presented here in an original newway. It features objects from China and Japan, Indonesia and India, Vietnamand Thailand, dating from 2000 BC to 2000 AD. A total of 365 objects will beon display.
New “outdoor museum”
The Rijksmuseum has also added a large public space to the circuit, in theform of a 14,500 square metre historic garden. Based on a 1901 design byPierre Cuypers, the museum’s architect, the garden’s new layout was createdby the Dutch landscape architecture firm Copijn.
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