Renovation work on the Amsterdam Museum Begins

With the installation of a protective plate around the centuries-old Jan van Speijk plaque in the historic boys’ courtyard, construction work on the renovation of the Amsterdam Museum began last Thursday, September 3. The museum will undergo a thorough renovation in the coming years, with a focus on preserving the building’s monumental features and rich history.

The protective covering around the memorial stone was installed by Mayor Femke Halsema and museum director Judikje Kiers, under the watchful eyes of the children. “After all, we’re building a museum for the next generation,” said Kiers, explaining the children’s role in this special moment. Deputy Mayor Elise Moeskops, architect Michiel Riedijk, director of Salverda Bouw Gerwin Port, and several other attendees also symbolically kicked off the long-awaited construction work by breaking ground on the protective structure. 

Deputy Mayor Elise Moeskops (Municipal Real Estate): “The Amsterdam Museum is on the verge of a major renovation. The museum of and for Amsterdam is receiving the attention and care it deserves. The renovation will provide more space for both Amsterdammers, it will become much more accessible, and for the museum’s collection. I wish everyone the best of luck with the construction work.”

The Amsterdam Museum, housed in a historic building that served as a civic orphanage for four centuries and, before that, as a monastery, will undergo extensive renovation in the coming years. The museum will be made more sustainable and prepared for the future.

The new Amsterdam Museum will open in 2030. It will be a visitor-friendly space where visitors and residents can get to know Amsterdam in a museum building that is connected to the neighborhood, the city, and its residents. The museum will be more accessible, more open, and more sustainable, with more space for the collection, education, and the public.

Discussions about the renovation of the Amsterdam Museum have been underway since 2016. Following a very meticulous process that involved extensive consultation with various heritage and historic preservation organizations, the city council approved the design by the architectural firm Neutelings Riedijk Architecten in 2021, which was developed in collaboration with TPAHG Architecten, serving as the restoration architect.

In 2024, the environmental permit became final. Following a competitive bidding process, the contract was awarded to Salverda Bouw, which is now starting the construction and will carry out the renovation over the coming years. Director Judikje Kiers said: “We are very pleased that construction is finally getting underway and that we have a goal on the horizon: we can’t wait to reopen the doors of this beautiful historic landmark to visitors in 2030.”

A memorial stone to Jan van Speijk has been on display in the boys’ courtyard of the Amsterdam Museum since October 20, 1831. It is a plaque bearing the inscription: “To Jan Carel Josephus van Speijk, [...] aboard the nation’s gunboat No. 2 off Antwerp, when attacked by the rebellious Belgians, he set fire to the gunpowder to save the honor of the Dutch flag and died a heroic death on February 5, 1831.”

Jan van Speijk (1802–1831) grew up as an orphan in the Burgerweeshuis. He served as a gunboat commander during the Belgian Revolt. On February 5, 1831, strong winds and a defective anchor caused his ship to drift toward the Antwerp quay, where Belgian soldiers and civilians stormed it. Van Speijk refused to surrender and blew up the ship by setting fire to a barrel of gunpowder. In the process, he, 28 of the 31 crew members, and several Belgians lost their lives. At a time when the Netherlands was in need of national heroes, this act was seen as an example of courage and patriotism. Van Speijk became a national hero, and his story was immortalized in monuments, paintings, books, and other commemorative objects. 

The Van Speijk memorial stone is one of the many historical elements in this centuries-old building. For example, there are several historic facade stones in the building, old columns in the colonnade, centuries-old water pumps in the courtyards, the distinctive orphan lockers, the linden tree planted to mark Queen Wilhelmina’s coronation in 1898, and several original 17th-century painted ceilings. During the renovation, all of these historic elements of the building will be carefully preserved. 

The renovation of the Amsterdam Museum is being funded by the City of Amsterdam. VriendenLoterij, Kroonenberg Groep, the Hartwig Foundation, and the ELJA Foundation are contributing as Founder to the design and programming of the new museum.

This text was translated using AI and may contain errors. If you have suggestions or comments, please contact us at webredactie@amsterdammuseum.nl.