Drents Museum | Erick van Egeraat

Extension of the museum with a new main exhibition hall and new main entrance. The most important aspect of Erick van Egeraat’s design for the new entrance and extension of the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands, is the consistent integration of the museum into the fabric of the city. A balanced play of building, landscape and water creates a new identity for the extended museum, emphasising both the scenic character and the cultural-historic face of the city centre of Assen. The new exhibition wing covers 2,400 square metres, all underground. Its staggered, organic roof consists of a public garden that connects the existing city parks. Openings in the roof allow daylight to enter the exhibition spaces below. The existing coach-house will serve as the museum’s new main entrance. Its historic facade will be left untouched, but the entire building will be lifted off the ground and onto a spectacular glass plinth. During the day, the glass plinth allows light to enter the building. At night, interior lighting highlights it in an elegant manner. The design by Erick van Egeraat won an international competition in 2007.