KAAN Architecten has been commissioned for the renovation and expansion of one of the Netherlands’ most renowned museums, the Paleis Het Loo. Responding to evolving purposes, the project scope involves the restoration and development of over 5,000 square meters of new space, including the House of Orange, the Junior Palace, and a temporary exhibition hall.
“The design, inspired by the layout and proportions of the Corps de Logis of Paleis Het Loo, incorporates all required facilities and spaces while expressing a grandeur fitting for one of the Netherlands’ most popular and visited museums,” announced the firm.
The four grass parterres of the museum’s farmyard, the Bassecour, are to be replaced with glass surfaces of the exact same dimensions, over which a stream of water will flow, in reference to the fountains of the historical gardens. These will be the first sight visitors will be met with, and are the only facades of the expansion underground.
Through the entrance pavilions, the lit underground entrance atrium will accommodate the ticket booths, information offices, the museum shop, among other amenities available to the public.
Central to the project is the Grand Foyer, which serves to connect the entrance to the Palace and leads to the House of Orange in the east wing, and temporary exhibitions to the west. The former, a 1,245 square meter space, will showcase the current and historical Dutch Royal Family, while the temporary exhibitions will be displayed in four interconnected square rooms, each with 5-meter high ceilings.
In addition to these, the Junior Palace in the west wing will be catered specifically towards children, and all visitors will experience first-hand the Palace’s various interior passages, following a rearrangement of the forty royal rooms.
Situated on the outskirts of Apeldoorn, the Paleis Het Loo was first built in 1686 as a royal hunting palace in the country’s centre. KAAN Architecten’s undertaking, expected to be completed by 2021, aims to reinterpret and compliment the building’s traditional elements, while simultaneously maintaining its historicity.
Architects
Architects in Charge
Kees Kaan, Vincent Panhuysen, Dikkie ScipioDesign Team
Loes Martens, Paolo Faleschini, Niels de Hart, Joost Harteveld, Antony Laurijsen, Nicki van Loon, Marija Mateljan, Floris Sikkel, Niels Vernooij, Sebastian van DammeConstruction Advisor
Bartels EngineersRestoration Advisor
Van Hoogevest ArchitectenInstallation / W&E Advisor
Valstar Simonis, ApeldoornBuilding Physics, Fire Control, Acoustics Advisor
DGMR Raadgevende Ingenieurs, ArnhemLight Design
Beers NielsenVisualisation
The Beauty & the Bit, KAAN ArchitectenArea
5000.0 m2Project Year
2017Photographs
Courtesy of KAAN ArchitectenArchitects
News via: KAAN Architecten.
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