Green light for renovation of Amsterdam Museum
Appeared on:
wo 16 oktober 2024, 11:00 hour
The Council of State has given the City of Amsterdam the green light to renovate the Amsterdam Museum's main location on Kalverstraat. The Amsterdam Museum will have more and better spaces to showcase the collection to the public, become more sustainable and fully accessible. The renovation, which can start now due to this State Council ruling, balances the strength of the centuries-old monument with everything necessary for a museum of today and the future.
Touria Meliani, Alderman for Art and Culture of the City of Amsterdam:
‘I am pleased with the positive ruling of the Council of State for the plans of the renovation of the Amsterdam Museum. The building and its unique history play an important role for the neighbourhood, the people of Amsterdam and the city as a whole. A thorough renovation will allow us to adapt and make the museum more sustainable. Accessibility will be improved and the collection will be shown to its best advantage. It is a good step forward for the future of the museum.’
Judikje Kiers, Amsterdam Museum director:
‘We are extremely happy with this ruling by the Council of State. It means that implementation of Neutelings Riedijk Architects' good and well-considered design will now really start. Through adjustments that do justice to the monumental value of the building, and that are a great improvement for collection and public, accessibility and sustainability, we will be able to continue to perform our function in the heart of this city centre in the future. On behalf of all colleagues at the Amsterdam Museum, I would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us in many ways.‘
Convent, orphanage and museum
The location in the heart of the historic city centre that has housed the Amsterdam Museum since 1975 and the rich history of the building make the former Citizens' Orphanage the ideal place for the city museum. The building housed a convent and later on an orphanage for almost four hundred years. The Civil Orphanage is an essential part of the story of the city and the museum and is among the top items in the collection. Preserving the museum at this location will keep the story of the place told and the Civil Orphanage accessible to all.
City museum of the future
Although the former City Orphanage is the ideal location for the museum, it was never built as a museum. Its limitations are problematic and stand in the way of a 21st-century visitor experience. The Amsterdam Museum receives many more visitors than the building can currently handle. The level differences and routing limit accessibility for people with physical disabilities. The small room dimensions make it impossible to display the diversity of pieces in the collection. Large masterpieces are now housed elsewhere - such as in the Amsterdam Museum wing at the H'ART Museum - or remain in storage. Daylight, climate and sustainability also require substantial modernisation. Since 2016, the Amsterdam Museum and the City of Amsterdam, as owner of the building complex, have therefore been working together with many experts on plans to renovate the historical monument on Kalverstraat and make it fit for the future.
Design
The licensed design by Neutelings Riedijk Architects is based on the following principles: more space for collection and public, accessibility, visibility and sustainability. The core of the design consists of making a spacious and multifunctional entrance area, creating a logical museum route and adding new museum rooms. This will make the museum a more efficient, spacious, flexible and sustainable building. The design also increases the recognisability and visibility of the new Amsterdam Museum.
Open in 2028
The municipality will now proceed with the tendering process. The aim is to start the first work on the building in 2025. As owner of the building, the municipality will bear the costs of the renovation of the shell. Through fundraising and sponsorship, the Amsterdam Museum will finance the interior of the permanent presentation, temporary programming and public spaces. The central government will contribute subsidies for preservation and maintenance of the monument. The new Amsterdam Museum is expected to open its doors in 2028. Until then, the Amsterdam Museum will continue to hold exhibitions at Amstel 51 (H'ART Museum), Huis Willet-Holthuysen on Herengracht and at various locations with various partners throughout the city.
About the lawsuit
In November 2022, the municipality of Amsterdam granted the permit for the renovation of the Amsterdam Museum. After this the Vereniging Vrienden van de Amsterdamse Binnenstad (VVAB) and Heemschut started an appeal against the permit. On 4 July 2023, the Amsterdam court ruled in favour of the municipality and the museum. The judges declared the heritage associations' objections unfounded on all points. On 10 August 2023, the VVAB filed an appeal with the Council of State. That case was heard on 29 May 2024.
Today, 16 October 2024, the verdict came: ‘’The main issue in this court case was whether the municipal executive committee had properly weighed up the interests of Amsterdam Museum for a renovation on the one hand and the interests of heritage conservation on the other. In the opinion of the Administrative Law Division, this is the case and the monumental interest does not oppose the granting of the permit. Thus, the decision of the municipal executive to grant the permit was based on several investigations, including a positive opinion from the National Cultural Heritage Agency. The objections raised by the association to these do not give reason to doubt the diligence or comprehensibility of those opinions,‘’ said the Administrative Law Division of the Council of State.
Image: Visualisatie renovatieplan Amsterdam Museum vogelvlucht. Vero Visuals