Design Award of Merit
Rijksmuseum Twente (National Museum), Enschede, The
Netherlands
Lodewijk Baljon Landscape Architects,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Clients: Rijksgebouwendienst (Government Building Agency) and Rijksmuseum
Twente
Simple elegance creates effective solution. . .
2004
Professional Awards Jury Comments
Conceptually, this space is the mediator between the old and the
new. The plan had to meet with accessibility requirements due to
the raised level of the buildings at the site. Surrounded by a dark
building, the courtyard had to become a bright place: a garden that
would provide a restful spot in the middle of the museum. The director
of the museum did not want a sculpture garden, and although occasionally
a statue might find its place there, the visitors' attention is
directed to the objects within the museum. On a warm summer day,
the Rijksmuseum courtyard and café are popular destinations
for museum visitors and locals. In the drab days of winter, the
courtyard retreats to become more a visual amenity to be viewed
from the café and from the museum ambulatories that surround
it.
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