Cruz y Ortiz Architects: The New Rijksmuseum

The restoration of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is one of the most hotly anticipated renovations in Dutch architectural history. This book examines the new Rijksmuseum, which opened to the public in April 2013, from the perspective of its architects--the Spanish duo Antonio Cruz and Antonio Ortiz. Cruz and Ortiz have extensive experience in the renovation of older buildings, and are internationally renowned for their minimal but recognizable additions. For the Rijksmuseum, they designed a plan centered on routing and orientation. The building, which had silted up over the years, had to be made open and accessible again. Author Jaap Huisman introduces the reader to the duo’s design principles, describing their search for solutions to the many problems presented by the complex building (which was for many years the largest building in the Netherlands).