The Rijksmuseum is located in Amsterdam and is the national museum of the Netherlands. It includes a wide range of Dutch arts, artefacts and historical collections. The Rijksmuseum is designed by architectural firms Cruz y Ortiz Architects, ADP Architects, and van Hoogevest Architects. The museum was built in Amsterdam, Netherlands and was built in 1885. The museum building had gone through a renovation which contributed to several changes. The renovation took around ten years to complete, and in 2013, the museum was reopened for its visitors and guests.
To renovate the museum, a competition was launched amongst various architectural firms. The museum was designed as a collaboration between various well-known and reputed design firms. The museum was designed by Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers and opened in 1885. The building consists of two square forms. Both buildings are connected by an atrium in the center. The central axis of the museum forms a tunnel which connects the entrances on the ground floor and the Gallery of Honour on the first floor. The museum has a look and feel of the old Gothic architectural style; there are several elements that contribute to its appearance and character.
The renovation included the creation of two new buildings, the Asian Pavilion and The Atelier Building. Along with this, two major functions were also included. The Atrium space consisted of the museum’s main entrance hall, while the Philips Wing consisted of an exhibition gallery space which was refurbished and restored.
The Atrium | Rijksmuseum
The Atrium building is a public and open space that consists of two courtyards. It is a space for social interaction in the community. Some of the features of the atrium space include brick walls, arched windows and a sloped roof. The spaces reflect a sense of Gothic architectural style in a blend of modern and contemporary elements. The heavy and massive brick walls are complemented by lightweight elements such as the roof and the openings. The floor has a smooth finish and a monotone colour tone that suits the space. One of the interesting features of the atrium is the chandelier. The chandeliers create a balanced ratio between the space and human scale. They also add an interesting touch to the lighting and acoustic character, and quality of the space.
In addition to this, the museum includes various other functions. Some of them include retail shops, an auditorium, cafes, ticket registration and information desks, and cloakrooms and storage rooms. The museum’s library is one of the largest research libraries in the Netherlands. The museum also includes some of the best restaurants in the world, which have won the Michelin star award.
The Asian Pavilion
The Rijksmuseum interestingly houses collections from all over the world. It includes arts and paintings from Chinese and Japanese to Indian and Thai etc. Some of these pieces date to 2000 BC till today.
The Asian collection is quite vast and is exhibited in the Asian pavilion. The pavilion is a two-story building built within the museum garden. It is also connected through an underground passage and has a footprint of around 1,000 square meters.
The project very well bridges the gap between the new buildings and the old structure by incorporating elements that suit both building characters. The Asian Pavilion has a sloped roof and has stone cladding for its façade. This used to give a homogenous and smooth look to the building and resemble the character of the Atrium space.
The Philips Wing | Rijksmuseum
The complex also included the “Fragment Building”. This building reused several architectural elements that were previously used in various old Dutch historical buildings that were demolished. During the renovation of the Rijksmuseum, these buildings were converted and dedicated to temporary exhibitions. The elements of these historical buildings created a historical character in the the museum.
The Philips Wing is a composition of carefully thought materials, colour tones and textures. The renovated Philips Wing was opened for its visitors in 2014. An interesting feature includes the statement ceiling where chandeliers are used. The chandeliers act as a central point for the atrium space. The building also hosts several exhibition and gallery spaces, creative restaurants and bars, and a common public terrace.
Art Collection
The museum hosts a diverse range of art and artifact collections of about 1 million objects belonging to the years 1200 to 2000. Currently, around 8,000 objects are on display. Some of the collections are by notable artists such as Jan Steen and Rembrandt. One of the interesting objects in the collection is the royal crest belonging to HMS Royal Charles. The museum also hosts an Asian collection which is showcased in the Asian pavilion. The Asian collection comprises symbols and artifacts that represents the Asian history, culture, and heritage.
The new Entrance Building | Rijksmuseum
The entrance building is near the garden. It acts as a service and secondary entrance to the museum and other buildings. The neighbouring functions consist of staff spaces, a loading area, access areas, underground spaces and an educational building.
The façade of the building has a modern and contemporary character. The material stone is used for the façade’s cladding blending in with the beauty of the garden’s landscape.
Images / Visual Mediums
Image Name : The museum as seen from Weteringschans
Image Number : 1
URL : https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/visitor-information/inside-the-rijksmuseum/the-building-from-the-exterior
Image Name : The museum as seen from Stadhouderskade
Image Number : 2
URL : https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/visitor-information/inside-the-rijksmuseum/the-building-from-the-exterior
Image Name : Site plan of Rijksmuseum
Image Number : 3
URL : https://archello.com/project/rijksmuseum-2
Image Name : Ground floor plan of Rijksmuseum
Image Number : 4
URL : https://archello.com/project/rijksmuseum-2
Image Name : First floor plan of Rijksmuseum
Image Number : 5
URL : https://archello.com/project/rijksmuseum-2
Image Name : Roof floor plan of Rijksmuseum
Image Number : 6
URL : https://archello.com/project/rijksmuseum-2
Image Name : North-South Section of Rijksmuseum
Image Number : 7
URL : https://archello.com/project/rijksmuseum-2
Image Name : Atrium of the museum after renovation
Image Number : 8
URL : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijksmuseum
Image Name : The library of the museum
Image Number : 9
URL : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijksmuseum
Image Name : The Asian Pavilion
Image Number : 10
URL : https://archello.com/project/rijksmuseum-2
Image Name : Corridor of the Philips Wing
Image Number : 11
URL : https://archello.com/project/rijksmuseum-2
Image Name : The Philips Wing
Image Number : 12
URL : https://archello.com/project/rijksmuseum-2
Image Name : Art gallery space of the Philips Wing
Citations
The building from the exterior – inside the Rijksmuseum – visitor information (no date) Rijksmuseum. Available at: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/visitor-information/inside-the-rijksmuseum/the-building-from-the-exterior (Accessed: December 13, 2022).
Rijksmuseum: Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos, Arup, ADP Architecten (no date) Archello. Available at: https://archello.com/project/rijksmuseum-2 (Accessed: December 13, 2022).
Amsterdam: The new rijksmuseum – part 1 (2016) Inexhibit. Available at: https://www.inexhibit.com/case-studies/amsterdam-rijksmuseum-21st-century-part-1/ (Accessed: December 13, 2022).
Amsterdam Inexhibit. Available at: https://www.inexhibit.com/case-studies/amsterdam-rijksmuseum-21st-century-part-2/ (Accessed: December 13, 2022).
Rijksmuseum (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijksmuseum (Accessed: December 13, 2022).
