To mark the 750th anniversary of the city of Amsterdam, the Stedelijk Museum presents its new Don Quixote Sculpture Hall as a unique gift to the city. Generously supported by the Don Quixote Foundation, the hall comprises a magnificent indoor Sculpture Hall which provides an opportunity for the Stedelijk to spotlight works from its famous collections.
The Sculpture Hall showcases both early modern classics and contemporary icons, including work by Henry Moore, Jean Arp, Alexander Calder, Willem de Kooning, Niki de Saint Phalle, Paulina Olowska and others, as well as a recently acquired sculpture by Anne Imhof and an iconic work on loan by Damien Hirst. This moment also marks the opening of the fully refurnished entrance area designed by architect Paul Cournet and his architecture studio, CLOUD.
With this Sculpture Hall the beloved sculpture garden of the Stedelijk Museum returns to its original location - this exact spot is now the museum’s entrance area in the new wing that opened in 2012. Until the turn of this century the outdoor sculpture garden was a popular and much visited place in Amsterdam. With the opening of this new indoor Sculpture Hall the museum once again strives to give the public an inspiring space to connect to one another and to art. Additionally, this new Sculpture Hall is free to visit and enjoy during the day, at night it will remain fully illuminated and visible through the glass facade on Museumplein.
In addition the wider entrance area has been fully refurbished to offer an enriched visitor experience, featuring a spacious seating area, a long multi-purpose reading table, the relocated museum shop and the new FONDA Bar curated by Amsterdam food design studio Oficina. Throughout the foyer visitors will also be able to enjoy the Stedelijk Chair, a special commission of the Stedelijk to renowned designer Sabine Marcelis for distinctive handmade aluminium seating.
Rein Wolfs, director of Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam: “150 years after the museum was founded, we wanted to create a new location in the heart of cultural Amsterdam where people of all ages can enjoy some of the stunning artworks from the Stedelijk collection. Thanks to generous support from the Don Quixote Foundation, the museum can make this ambition a reality. This is our gift to the city, its residents and all visitors in honor of Amsterdam's 750th anniversary.”
Paul Cournet, architect and designer of Don Quixote Sculpture Hall: “For the Stedelijk’s new entrance hall, the refurbishment had to be both timeless and radical. We aimed to create a space that can express its inner qualities: being a sculpture hall as well as a public space for the city of Amsterdam and allow all kinds of new activities to emerge from it.”
Sabine Marcelis, designer of the Stedelijk Chair: “The Stedelijk is known for its renowned design collection. With the Stedelijk Chair, I aimed to create a timeless design, as if sculpted from a single sheet of aluminum, complementing the museum’s redesigned entrance.”
Main Image: The Don Quixote Sculpture Hall. Photo by Peter Tijhuis.
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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