Image © John Lewis Marshall

One of the most imposing landmarks of Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum is reopening this weekend, restored and with a brand new wing designed by by Mels Crouwel of Benthem Crouwel Architects. The addition re-orients the entire museum to face onto Amsterdam’s Museumplein (Museum Plaza), activating a vital public space for Stedelijk and its distinguished neighbors: the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Concertgebouw. In stark contrast with the old red structure conceived by architect A.W. Weissman back in 1895, the 10,000-square-meter (98,400 square feet) extension sports the smooth curves and brilliant white of a bathtub, a simile which the architects have fully embraced. Read more!

Stedelijk Museum facade as seen from the Museumplein (Museum Plaza). Image © Ernst van Deursen

With a seamless construction of reinforced fiber and a roof jutting far into space, the volume draws plenty of attention while providing a roofed plaza that belongs as much to the building as to Museumplein. This creates a powerful mark for the new access into the museum and draws pedestrians in from the public space.

Image © John Lewis Marshall

Image © Benthem Crouwel Architects

Overview of the Museumplein. Counterclock-wise from top Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum, Concertgebouw

Image © Benthem Crouwel Architects

Besides the entrance, the transparent ground level under the “bathtub” contains a museum shop and a restaurant with a terrace. A huge textile adorns the interior, covering the back wall of the restaurant and extending into the entrance hall, where it rises 14 meters (46 feet) to the top. The work has been designed by Petra Blaisse from Inside Outside, a longtime collaborator of Stedelijk Museum.

New entrance hall with textile art by Petra Blaisse. Images © John Lewis Marshall

Below the square level there is a knowledge centre, library, and large exhibition hall. From here, two escalators enclosed in a “tube” lead to the upper volume, connecting with another galley and smoothly bypassing the entry level to ensure continuity of the exhibition route.

The detailing and color at the interior of the old and the new buildings are treated similarly, making the difference between them barely noticeable when walking through the museum. The celebrated features of the original structure, such as grand rooms, natural lighting, and a majestic staircase have been maintained and even reinterpreted and reiterated in the design of the new addition.

Image © John Lewis Marshall