The Westfries Museum is preparing for a monster job. From January 1, the museum will close for 2.5 years due to a major renovation, renovation and expansion. And so this week visitors can view their favorite works of art for free for the last time.
The past few weeks have been busy in the museum. And today is no different. “We’ve been here before. But we were like: it’s going to be some time before we can come again, so let’s see,” says a visitor.
Moving 38,000 museum pieces
The museum staff is now counting down to 2023. Not only a new year, but also the starting point of the major renovation. The move of 38,000 museum pieces will start. “They go to a new depot nearby. It meets the latest standards,” explains museum director Ad Geerdink.
Subsequently, the floor on the ground floor will be opened up and foundation repair will follow to prevent further subsidence of the monumental buildings. Add to that the fact that archaeologists will also be conducting research, basements will be built as an extra floor, and you will understand that they will be busy for a while.
“And then the museum will also be made more sustainable. It will be completely gas-free. And moreover, the museum will soon be accessible to everyone,” explains Geerdink. Because visitors in a wheelchair can’t get further than the ground floor.
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Restoring and researching art
A project that lasts 2.5 years and costs about 17.5 million euros. But even if the works of art cannot be shown to the public, it also offers opportunities, explains museum director Geerdink. “We are going to conserve the works of art and restore them where necessary. We can do that now too. And extra research into objects. Cruijff said it already: ‘every disadvantage has its advantage’.”
In the meantime, the museum staff will continue to work as usual. In the Statenlogement, the old town hall, on the Nieuwstraat there will be a visual show telling ‘the story of Hoorn’. “You can also do a pod walk, an audio tour,” explains Geerdink. “Because Hoorn is a kind of open-air museum. Stroll through the city. And then discover something that you have already walked past 100 times, but only now look at it and think: wow, what a rich history behind this.”
The renovated Westfries Museum must reopen to the public in mid-2025. Until then be on the museum’s website digital exhibitions and regular updates about the renovation.