Dutch studio Merk X has renovated the Nineteenth-century Groote Museum at Amsterdam Zoo, combining the reinstatement of its unique options with the addition of a brand new basement and up to date accents knowledgeable by pure kinds.
Designed in 1854 by Johannes van Maurik, the constructing traditionally acted as a member’s corridor and museum for the zoological society Natura Artis Magistra or Artis, which closed in 1946 previous to your entire construction being closed in 2011.
The renovation by Merk X, which has been shortlisted within the civic and cultural interiors class of Dezeen Awards 2022, stripped away earlier alterations earlier than restoring and upgrading the constructing to deal with a brand new pure historical past museum.
“The design course of is characterised by two complementary approaches: to revive and to replace,” stated the follow.
“After an extended interval of neglect, this nationwide monument has regained the transparency that shaped architect Van Maurik’s two guiding rules: air and happiness,” it continued.
Throughout the unique constructing’s two storeys, structural components have been strengthened and unique options, akin to a putting double staircase within the rotunda, have been altered to satisfy fashionable security necessities with the addition of a better balustrade.
Beneath, a basement was dug out by putting the unique constructing on a metal desk throughout building, offering a brand new entrance route in addition to much-needed extra house for back-of-house amenities, cloakrooms, lockers and bogs.
On the primary flooring, an elongated gallery house has been fitted with a further staircase to enhance circulation, designed to double as seating for public occasions, and a connecting bridge to hyperlink the east and west sides of the constructing.
The local weather management and safety of show areas have additionally been improved, with the glass vitrines that encompass each ranges of the gallery strengthened.
“Mandatory interventions accommodating the anticipated inflow of holiday makers have been fitted virtually imperceptibly, together with the structural strengthening of the exhibition halls and their galleries,” stated the follow.
Alongside the restoration of historic particulars, Merk X drew on the close by zoo’s nature to introduce a terrazzo flooring, wall work, steel screens and lighting that reference timber and vegetation.
“A richly adorned terrazzo flooring and a sculptural lamp impressed by natural kinds akin to chestnuts and acorns visually join the doorway with the bottom flooring,” stated the follow.
“Whether or not previous or fully new, each side of the Groote Museum has been given its place on this spectacular new composition,” it continued.
Different tasks featured on the civic and cultural inside shortlist of Dezeen Awards 2022 embrace the transformation of a former cow shed right into a library house by Crawshaw Architects and the world’s first multi-storey skate park in Folkestone by Holloway Studio.
Pictures is by Filip Dujardin.
