The Mauritshuis is small but opulent, majestic yet intimate, and is considered by many as the most beautiful museum in the Netherlands, if not in Europe. The building was originally designed as a residence, and has suffered as a result of the immense popularity that it gained as a museum. This publication shows the transformation of this historical building by the Dutch architect Hans van Heeswijk.

Inspired by examples such as I.M. Pei’s famous renovation of the Louvre in Paris, and Apple’s flagship store in New York that opened in 2005, Van Heeswijk has opted to go literally underground to create new space for the museum’s many visitors. This solution also connects the existing Mauritshuis with an extension in the former clubhouse building called ‘Plein 26’, across the street, which was built in the Art Deco style. With this intervention, the logistical problems of the busy, heavily-trafficked museum have been largely resolved, and it also creates a clear and inviting image.

The Mauritshuis is small but opulent, majestic yet intimate, and is considered by many as the most beautiful museum in the Netherlands, if not in Europe. The building was originally designed as a residence, and has suffered as a result of the immense popularity that it gained as a museum. This publication shows the transformation of this historical building by the Dutch architect Hans van Heeswijk.

Inspired by examples such as I.M. Pei’s famous renovation of the Louvre in Paris, and Apple’s flagship store in New York that opened in 2005, Van Heeswijk has opted to go literally underground to create new space for the museum’s many visitors. This solution also connects the existing Mauritshuis with an extension in the former clubhouse building called ‘Plein 26’, across the street, which was built in the Art Deco style. With this intervention, the logistical problems of the busy, heavily-trafficked museum have been largely resolved, and it also creates a clear and inviting image. This book focuses on how the extension was approached, and places the design in the context of recent international museum architecture. It also sketches the history of a luxurious seventeenth-century urban palace that has developed into one of the most elegant museums in Europe.