National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam re-opens to public in presence of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands
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Het Scheepvaartmuseum (The National Maritime Museum) in Amsterdam reopened to the public on October 2nd, presenting thirteen new exhibitions in its fully renovated landmark building dating from 1656. Highlights include replicas of the large ship East Indiaman Amsterdam and the steamship Christiaan Brunings, as well asVoyage at Sea, a virtual adventure at sea, among other exhibitions presenting 500 years of maritime history.
On the evening of Saturday, October 1, Het Scheepvaartmuseum (the National Maritime Museum) in Amsterdam hosted its Grand Opening in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands.
Dating from 1656, the museum building originally served as a formal Amsterdam war fleet storage building and became the home of Het Scheepvaartmuseum in 1973. Liesbeth van der Pol of Dok architects’ plan was chosen for the necessary renovations of the museum, and in 2007 the extensive renovation project began. Van der Pol’s plan includes the addition of new spaces for meetings, gatherings and social events and the museum features a new restaurant ‘Stalpaert’ (named after the original Golden Age architect of the building), a museum shop, and patios along the water. The crowning jewel of the museum is its dazzling courtyard ceiling made of hundreds of pieces of glass, designed by Architect Laurent Ney (NEY+Partners) who was inspired by the compass rose seen on old sea charts. The museum renovation project was completed in September 2011.
The Story of the Museum
Like many people, when you think of the Netherlands the first thing you may think of is dikes. But think about the sea behind them, and how much of our prosperity, culture and identity we owe to the people who saw the opportunity of the sea and sailed out to find it. We have the sea to thank for our Golden Age, and for so much more. The sea runs so deep in us, you might say we have salt in our DNA. This is the story that Het Scheepvaartmuseum (The National Maritime Museum) in Amsterdam wishes to tell. And more than just a story, it will be an experience. We have chosen to redefine the museum as we know it. Our goal is to make everyone part of the story, with innovative and interactive presentations. With eleven exhibitions, Voyage at Sea attraction and two museum ships to experience, the new Scheepvaartmuseum will be an inspiring journey for both young and old.
The Building ’s Lands Zeemagazijn - a majestic piece of history
Since 1973, Het Scheepvaartmuseum has been housed in ’s Lands Zeemagazijn, one of Amsterdam’s largest Golden Age buildings. It was originally built as a storehouse for the Amsterdam war fleet by city architect Daniël Stalpaert in 1656, when Amsterdam was the largest port in the world and the Dutch dominated world trade. Today, over 350 years later, ’s Lands Zeemagazijn is still an imposing and outspoken building that exudes an air of maritime history.
In 2007, an extensive renovation of the building began, to make it answer to the needs of today’s museumgoer. That renovation, which was completed in 2011, also involved the addition of new spaces for meetings, gatherings and social events. The renovation master plan was penned by Liesbeth van der Pol of Dok architects, whose previous projects included Het Scheepvaartmuseum’s repository building on the adjacent naval site.
But perhaps the high point of the renovation, literally and figuratively, was the glass roofing of the inner courtyard. Architect Laurent Ney (NEY+Partners), inspired by the compass rose seen on old sea charts, created a selfsupporting construction in its likeness from hundreds of pieces of glass set in a metal frame. With this dazzling ceiling, the inner courtyard has been given a completely new function as central square and event location. From the courtyard, the visitor can easily find the way not only to the exhibits and attractions but to restaurant Stalpaert, the museum shop, and the patios along the water.
Event location
The new Scheepvaartmuseum is a spectacular event site at one of Amsterdam’s most beautiful locations. The covered inner courtyard is a dazzling spot for large dinners and receptions, with a capacity unheard of in Amsterdam (up to 1,000 guests). In addition, Het Scheepvaartmuseum has three style rooms, named for Dutch naval heroes, which are ideal for business meetings. These rooms can be booked during the day and during the evening. Het Scheepvaartmuseum can provide catering for meetings of up to one hundred people. For larger gatherings, the museum works with selected partners.
More information
For more information about Het Scheepvaartmuseum as an event location please visit www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl
Het Scheepvaartmuseum has a new Facebook page where a humorous video has been posted entitled ‘No Facebook without the Dutch’, which you can watch here http://www.facebook.com/#!/hetscheepvaartmuseum