Architectural Fact Sheet - Rijksmuseum

www.rijksmuseum.nl/press
Rijksmuseum
Architectural fact sheet
Project Overview
The new Rijksmuseum will open on 13 April 2013 following a ten-year
transformation, which has seen the museum rebuilt, renovated and
restored. Never before has a national museum undergone such a complete
modernisation. The new Rijksmuseum will display more than 8,000
artistic and historical objects, in a striking sequence of 80 galleries, which
tell the story of 800 years of Dutch art and history from 1200 to the
present day.
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.
Location
Schedule
Project Cost
Museumstraat 1, Postbus 74888, 1070 DN Amsterdam, Netherlands
2000 – Dutch government approves proposal for renovation project
March 2001 – Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos appointed as project architect
December 2003 – Main building of the Rijksmuseum closes for renovation
December 2003 – Philips Wing opens with the display Rijksmuseum, The
Masterpieces
May 2004 – Wilmotte & Associés SA appointed to devise the interior
design
July 2012 – Renovation complete, installation begins
March 2013 – Philips Wing closes for renovation
Saturday 13 April 2013 – Official Opening of new Rijksmuseum
375 million euros, financed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and
Science, and the Rijksmuseum
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION TEAM
Original Rijksmuseum
Architect
Transformation –
Architectural Team
Pierre Cuypers (1827 – 1921)
Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos, Seville
Principals: Antonio Cruz and Antonio Ortiz
Project Architect: Muriel Huisman, Thomas Offermans
Project Team: Tirma Reventós, Oscar García de la Cámara, Marije Ter
Steege, Alicia López, Juan Luis Mayén, Clara Hernández, Ana Vila, Victoria
Bernícola, Jan Kolle, Sara Gutiérrez, Marta Pelegrín, Iko Mennenga,

Joaquin Pérez, Lourdes Gutierrez, and Carlos Arévalo
Transformation –
Interior Design
Transformation –
Consultants
Wilmotte & Associés SA, Paris
Principal: Jean-Michel Wilmotte
Project Interior Architect: Marleen Homan
Project Team: Bénédicte Ollier, Emilie Oliviero, Domenico Lo Rito, Flore
Lenoir, Céline Seivert, Anne-Claire Grassler, Marc Dutoit, Dji-Ming Luk,
Vanessa Adolphe, Alekos Santantonios.
Structural Engineering: ARCADIS
Mechanical and Civil Engineering: OVE ARUP
Construction Manager: JP van Eesteren
Conservation: Van Hoogevest Architecten
Landscape Architect: Copijn Landschapsarchitecten
MAJOR DESIGN FEATURES
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 19 th
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 have 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 Asian Pavilion has been created to showcase objects and works of art
from China and Japan, Indonesia and India, Vietnam and Thailand, dating
from 2000 BC to 2000 AD. The museum’s rich collection of Asian art is
harmoniously presented in the 670 square-metre space, with a total of
365 objects on display.
On the opposite side of the garden, between the Cuypers Villa and the
Teekenschool (Drawing School), Cruz y Ortiz have placed another small
new building – the new service entrance, offering access to the museum
via an underground passage.
New “outdoor
museum”
The transformation of the Rijksmuseum has included the opening up of a
large, outdoor public space for visitors, in the form of a 14,500 squaremetre
historic garden. Based on a 1901 design by Pierre Cuypers, the
garden’s new layout was created by the Dutch landscape architecture
firm Copijn Landschapsarchitecten.
The garden features several of the original formal garden styles, as well
as restored statues and fragments of ancient buildings. A fountain, pond,
greenhouse, and children’s garden will soon be added to this “outdoor
museum”. A Henry Moore exhibition will open in the garden on 21 June
2013, the first in an annual series of international sculpture exhibitions to
be held each summer.
The Atelier Building
The Atelier Building is a venue for the preservation and management of
Dutch cultural heritage, housing a centre for restoration and conservation,
scientific practice, research and education. It opened in 2007, and
accommodates departments from both the Rijksmuseum and the
University of Amsterdam.

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.
Covering a surface area of more than 9,000 square-metres, the Atelier
Building merges a new structure with an existing building designed by
Pierre Cuypers, known as the Safety Institute. The building’s brick façade
complements that of the Rijksmuseum and its surrounding buildings, yet
the architects have created an easily recognisable silhouette to help
identify the building.
Functionality was the main consideration in the building's design. The
unusual ‘zigzagging’ roof structure, the glazed northern elevation, and
angled, triangular-shaped windows of the side-wall ensure that only
northern light is admitted, to avoid direct sunlight. All the studios,
hallways, doors and lifts are higher and wider than usual, facilitating easy
passage for large works of art.
Teekenschool
The Rijksmuseum’s multidisciplinary education centre will be situated in
the historic Teekenschool (Drawing School). The renovation has restored
the school building to its original function as a space for learning,
enriching the museum experience by providing opportunities for art
enthusiasts of all ages to take part in specially created programmes
revolving around the Rijksmuseum collection.
Established in 1892, the Teekenschool owes its name to its original
function as a drawing school, a forerunner of the Gerrit Rietveld Academy.
The concept and design of the building was developed by architect Pierre
Cuypers, who envisioned it as a place that would help to improve national
art education.
The restored building will be the most comprehensive museum education
centre in the Netherlands. Connected by the theme of ‘learning to look by
doing’, the centre's three modern studios will accommodate a varied
range of activities.
Philips Wing
During the ten-year transformation of the Rijksmuseum, the Philips Wing
has remained open to the public, with the exhibition Rijksmuseum, The
Masterpieces. The Philips Wing will close for renovation in March. Cruz y
Ortiz will lead the design, and the space will be converted into a new
home for temporary exhibitions.
FACTS & FIGURES
Total building size
Total exhibition space
Total galleries
Atrium
Asian Pavilion
30,000 square metres
12,000 square metres
80 galleries
2,250 square metres
670 square metres

Garden / Outdoor
Museum
Museum Shop
Walking distance
Facilities
14,500 square metres
300 square metres
The walking distance through the museum’s 80 galleries is a total of
approximately 1.5 kilometres
Drawing School
Restored library
Auditorium
Museum shop in Atrium
Café in Atrium
Restaurant in the Philips Wing [from 2014]
Café in the Philips Wing [from 2014]
CONTACTS
Website
www.rijksmuseum.nl
Media Contacts
Rijksmuseum:
Boris de Munnick
Tel: +31 (0)6 22978444
Email: B.de.Munnick@rijksmuseum.nl
or
Elles Kamphuis
Tel: +31 (0)6 12124228
Email: E.Kamphuis@rijksmuseum.nl
International Press:
Bolton & Quinn Ltd
Erica Bolton / Olivia Wareham
Tel: +44 (0)207 221 5000
Email: erica@boltonquinn.com / olivia@boltonquinn.com
Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos:
Sonia Gutiérrez
Tel: +34 626 70 2827
Email: press@cruzyortiz.com