Pien Niehe
Europe Press Office,Amsterdam
On 1 November the renewed Philips wing of the Rijksmuseum will reopen its doors to the public, marking the end of the overall renovation of the museum.
The renovated Philips wing of the Rijksmuseum includes 1,300m2 of exhibition rooms and a restaurant. Like the main building, the wing has been restored to its original state, with Arup providing building services design for both projects. Additionally we signed up for the structural design during the design and construct phase of the wing renovation.
Fragment building
The Philips Wing was originally built in 1890 in the garden of the Rijksmuseum and developed the nickname ‘Fragment Building’ as the original architect Pierre Cuypers, used construction 'fragments' or elements from old monuments to create the building. Further extensions followed over the years using different construction techniques, making the structural design for the renovation very challenging, as it had to take into account the different styles and varying quality of the foundations.
“'It is a historical day. The Netherlands has gained an extra museum.' Wim Pijbes, Director Rijksmuseum
Unity
In order to enable daylight to enter the atrium, a lot of the technical installation equipment had to move. In collaboration with Cruz y Ortiz Architects and restoration architect Van Hoogevest, alternative spaces were created in the basement and in the two roof caps on the two short sides of the building. Additionally, the technical systems were hidden from eye and connected to the systems of the recently renovated main building of the Rijksmuseum, which were also designed by Arup.
“'For years the Philips wing had been a neglected part of the Rijksmuseum. The wing had a frugal atmosphere, due to little investment. Thanks to the renovation the Philips wing has beautiful exhibition rooms and is in unison with the rest of the museum. Neglect is no longer the case. ‘ Muriel Huisman, Director of Cruz y Ortiz Architects