The Dutch design capital will soon have an art “museum” worthy of its rank. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has chosen Eindhoven to open its first branch, called Rijksmuseum Eindhoven. The municipality joined the project, and the company ASML (a giant in the field of semiconductors) participates as a founding partner.
Located approximately 120 km southeast of Amsterdam, Eindhoven (250,000 inhabitants) wishes to provide local access to the works of the Rijksmuseum for residents of the south of the country. The new museum will be built in a park on the banks of the Dommel River, a stone’s throw from the central station. The building will have approximately 3,500 m² of exhibition space. The opening is expected within six to eight years. But this antenna is not really a museum. Like the Louvre-Lens or the Center Pompidou-Metz in France, it will mainly offer temporary exhibitions drawing from the national collection of the Rijksmuseum.
For the Rijksmuseum, this expansion meets a clear objective: to share more of its works with the whole country. “The Rijksmuseum belongs to everyone and is open to everyone”says Taco Dibbits, director of the museum, emphasizing that it houses a collection of more than a million objects. Taco Dibbits also notes that the Rijksmuseum has long-standing links with Eindhoven: the Philips company was one of the museum’s founding partners for 25 years, alongside sponsors such as KPN, ING and the Vriendenloterij lottery. This Rijksmuseum Eindhoven will, according to the mayor of Eindhoven, “a valuable addition to the cultural climate of Brabant and beyond”a place where “everyone, young or old, will be able to enjoy a unique blend of history and creativity”.
This new exhibition venue represents an investment of around 80 million euros. The city of Eindhoven will finance the majority, subject to approval by the city council. At the same time, ASML and other local companies will contribute to future operating costs through sponsorship and patronage agreements.
