The Maritime Museum in Amsterdam, Daniël Stalpaert Netherlands, Design

Het Scheepvaartmuseum Amsterdam

Het Scheepvaartmuseum Development – The Atlases Exhibition News

27 Apr 2014

Het Scheepvaartmuseum Interior

Atlases newly staged at The National Maritime Museum

Exhibition design: ATELIER BRÜCKNER, Germany

The National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam (Het Scheepvaartmuseum) is presenting its extensive collection of maps and atlases in a new setting. ATELIER BRÜCKNER designed the exhibition.

The Atlases. Het Scheepvaartmuseum, Amsterdam:

photo : Michael Jungblut

The focus is on four pioneers of cartography and on their forefather Claudius Ptolemy (90 – 168 B.C.). Abraham Ortelius, Gerhard Mercator, Cornelis Claesz and Joan Blaeu published maps and atlases that forever changed the way we see the world. The unique exhibits were created between 1482 and 1665, and include the first views of America and extremely precise maps of Amsterdam.

The valuable documents, still fascinating today due to their wealth of details, are the initial point of the exhibition design. Their characteristic colours are taken up in the space’s colour scheme. The inscriptions for the different objects have been designed to be in tune with the legends for the maps. At a central media station, visitors are able to immerse themselves in the concept and history of cartography. Here, they can browse through digitised maps and atlases. A large-scale installation then presents a film summarising the history of cartography. It relates the Dutch exhibits to corresponding international exemplars.

The Atlases. Het Scheepvaartmuseum, Amsterdam:

photo : Michael Jungblut

The exhibition, entitled “The Atlases”, is being shown in the east wing of the museum. It is part of the so-called object galleries, designed by ATELIER BRÜCKNER and opened in 2011. They include an important collection of navigation instruments, ship models, maritime paintings, ships’ ornaments as well as photo albums and handcrafted objects made of glass, silver and porcelain. For each group of objects, a special narrative space was developed which combines the groups of exhibits to form highly expressive units. “The Atlases” replaces the presentation of the museum’s own globes, which could only be shown temporarily for conservational reasons. The exhibition opened on 31 March 2014.

The Maritime Museum in Amsterdam exhibition images / information from Atelier Brückner

Atelier Brueckner

27 Sep 2011

Het Scheepvaartmuseum Amsterdam Building

The National Maritime Museum

Original building – ‘s Lands Zeemagazijn – designed by Dutch architect Daniël Stalpaert

Renovation: 2007-11

The new museum

Address: Kattenburgerplein 1, 1018 KK Amsterdam, Netherlands

Phone: +31 20 523 2222

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, the attraction Voyage at Sea attraction and two museum ships to experience, the new Scheepvaartmuseum will be an inspiring journey for both young and old.

Voyage at Sea is a unique and exciting virtual adventure at sea. You will experience, in all its rage and glory, what people on board ship had to endure, from storms to sea battles. The images will surround you. Stand in the cabin of legendary captain Michiel de Ruyter and watch how he prepares for a sea battle. Take part in a hard-fought sailing race. You will even survive the fury of a torpedo hit. Along the way, you will get to know the people and stories behind the museum’s most extraordinary objects. It is a voyage you will never forget!

For our youngest visitors we present Sal & Lori and Circus at Sea, a magical sea journey. The tale of the whale tells the story of how through the ages the whale went from feared and monstrous denizen of the deep to endangered species. This exhibit was made possible in part by the World Wildlife Fund. In See you in the Golden Age, the historic glory of the Netherlands comes to life. In Port 24/7, take a tour of the Port of Amsterdam and its surroundings. See the spectacular, twenty metre-long model of the whole port zone between Amsterdam and IJmuiden. And if you dare, take the exciting container ride, and learn first-hand what a cargo container getting shipped through the port must feel like! And of course you mustn’t miss the life-sized replicas of the famous East Indiaman Amsterdam and the steamship Christiaan Brunings, which await you on the quay alongside the museum.

In the museum’s regular exhibits, you will see the most interesting pieces from the collection of Het Scheepvaartmuseum at centre stage. But these, too, are anything but ordinary museum exhibits. Het Scheepvaartmuseum lets visitors discover the Netherlands’ nautical heritage for themselves in an intuitive and direct way. Every piece tells its own story and invites the visitor to take a closer look. In The Glass, Silver and Porcelain exhibit, you will hear the clinking of wine goblets and the clatter of silverware. A huge, festively decorated banquet table stands at the centre of the hall. The pleasant, personal atmosphere piques the visitor’s curiosity about the beautiful objects in the buffets along the walls. Other exhibits, like The Photo Albums, are interactive and personal: you decide how much information you want to call up. All these things make a visit to Het Scheepvaartmuseum an exciting and emotional voyage of discovery through five hundred years of maritime history.

For more information about the new Scheepvaartmuseum: www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl link

’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, that 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.

For more information about Het Scheepvaartmuseum as an event location: www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl

The Maritime Museum in Amsterdam images / information from Atelier Brückner gmbh

Maritime Museum in Amsterdam

image from architect
Maritime Museum in Amsterdam : further information

The Netherlands Maritime Museum is housed in the National Naval Depot which is a former arsenal of the Dutch Navy, over 300 years old.

Het Scheepvaartmuseum Opening hours:
Tue to Sun 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Also open on Mondays from mid-Jun to mid-Sep.
Closed on New Year’s Day and Queen’s day (30 Apr).

Contact Netherlands Maritime Museum Amsterdam:
(020) 52 32 222

Address:
Netherlands Maritime Museum Amsterdam
Kattenburgerplein 1
1018 KK Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Location: Kattenburgerplein 1, 1018 KK Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam Architecture – contemporary building information

picture from architect