In 11 days H.M. the Queen will officially open the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam at Saturday 13 April after a ten year renovation

The Rijksmuseum has been a working museum for more than 125 years. The current building, which was designed by the architect Pierre Cuypers, was opened in 1885. 

In the year 2000, the government of the day gave the go-ahead. After a lengthy period of preparation, work finally started in 2004. The main building was handed over in 2012, and work began on preparing for the opening. Following its refit, this internationally renowned museum is now fully compliant with the requirements of our modern age.

The architects had the following challenge: strip the building of its later additions, ensure that it is once again a coherent whole and restore Cuypers’ clear layout. The design combines the grandeur that defines the Rijksmuseum, plus facilities such as a museum café, a shop and, to preserve the art, climate-control and security features which are completely in line with today’s requirements. From 13 April 2013, visitors will be setting foot not in a renovated museum, but in a completely new museum.

The Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum in Amsterdam, located on the Museumplein. The museum is dedicated to arts, crafts, and history. It has a large collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age and a substantial collection of Asian art.

Read more about the museum and the renovation.