Enjoy the impressive Van Gogh collection. Wander through the peaceful sculpture garden. Marvel at the special combination of art, nature and architecture. It is not without reason that the Kröller-Müller Museum is one of the most visited museums in the Netherlands. The crowd pleaser is on the eve of a major expansion, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Valstar Simonis is responsible for the design of all technical installations.
Frits de Vogel, business director of the Kröller-Müller, is proud of 'his' museum. "The location, the quality of the collection and the coherence between the museum and the sculpture garden are unique. You won't find that anywhere else in the Netherlands and perhaps even anywhere else in the world." Jean Hilgersom, project leader of the expansion on behalf of the museum, finds the creation of the collection particularly special. "Collected by the Kröller-Müller family and donated to the state in 1935. It is wonderful that we will soon be able to show much more of that beautiful collection."
From left to right: Theo de Boer, Frits de Vogel, Jean Hilgersom and Mark Schreijnders
Peace and space Because that is exactly what the expansion is all about: more space for the collection. De Vogel says: “We can now show almost only what Helene Kröller-Müller collected. Everything that was acquired afterwards – and that is a lot – is mainly in the depot. A great pity. We would like to show the entire line of the collection: from 1850 to 2024.” Moreover, it is also impossible to show the entire collection after the expansion. The collection is far too extensive for that and, moreover, not everything can be exhibited. “And we want to continue to do justice to Helene's mission: giving visitors the space to enjoy art in peace. You don't come here to see as much as possible. We give space to each work and that contributes enormously to the experience.”
Facilities outdated Project leader Hilgersom explains that the expansion is not only intended to show more of the collection. “The public facilities, such as the restaurant, the museum shop and the rooms for groups, are quite outdated and no longer meet the wishes and expectations of the public. We also have to adapt the spaces behind the scenes to meet the requirements in the areas of security, climate and logistics, for example. And finally, we want to ensure that employees will soon be together in one building and no longer spread across different locations.”
Natural integration The Japanese architect Tadao Ando designed the extension. A big name: world-famous, winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the Nobel Prize of architecture, and the man behind the design of several leading museums. “An architect who has an eye for the iconic architecture that we already have here with the Van de Velde wing and the Quist wing,” Hilgersom describes. One of Tadao Ando's special qualities is his talent for a natural integration of buildings. This was an important condition for the extension of the Kröller-Müller Museum. A large part of the extension, around 75%, will therefore be realised underground.
Champions league Theo de Boer, director and advisor of Valstar Simonis, calls it “mega-challenging” to work with this famous architect. “This is really champions league!” According to him and fellow advisor, the challenge lies in Mark Schreijnders for example, in the desire to keep installations out of sight as much as possible. Solar panels? Please, but then invisible to visitors. “And of course we cannot lose sight of the functionality. So we have to find an optimum between architecture and installation technology,” says Schreijnders. “That is a matter of give and take. Fortunately, we notice that Ando is open to our opinion.” De Vogel adds: “We experience that the architect really looks for what we need and is not concerned with what he wants himself. You could call him a star architect without star airs.”
Innovative solutions De Boer and Schreijnders are proud to be able to contribute to this prestigious project in the De Hoge Veluwe National Park. Valstar Simonis was chosen after a tender process in which a lot of attention was paid to cooperation and team spirit. De Boer looks back: “Where we are often asked to give a presentation, we now spoke to each other in a relaxed atmosphere and investigated whether there was the right click. And there was.” Hilgersom: “We really went looking for a team and we soon noticed that Valstar Simonis can play a good role in that. They ask the right questions and come up with innovative solutions. Important, because technology is certainly not a neglected child with us. If you list ten museums, I know for sure that we have the most beautiful and cleanest technical rooms. We feel responsible for our collection and that includes that care for technology. And then it is nice to work together with a party that 'breathes' technology.”
Finding balance Architectural firm MVSA will further develop Tadao Ando's design. This will be done in close collaboration with the Japanese architect. Charlotte Griffioen, architect-director at MVSA, is pleased with the collaboration with Ando and with Valstar Simonis: "By applying innovative and sustainable architecture, we can find a balance between progress and respect for nature. The interaction between architect and installation consultant is essential for this."
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