Reinventing Het Scheepvaartmuseum /the National Maritime Museum Amsterdam
Linda Mol MAHead of Exhibitions and Interpretation
The National Maritime Museum Amsterdam: in 350-year-old Naval Depot, the former arsenal of the Admiralty.
Why renovation and refurbishment?
• Historic building, without climate control
• Exhibition concept from 70’s, not relevant for
today’s visitors
• Limited visitors’ capacity and facilities
Vision for the new museum
• world class collection
• top quality renovation of building
• outstanding exhibitions
• leading events
• superb hostmanship
• cultural entrepreneurship
• result: from180.000 to 300.000 visitors a year
Our objective:
To inspire society with maritime stories
Our brand values
to be stimulating
to be leading in our field
to be accesible
to be reliable
to be inviting
Our promise
STORIES THAT areWorthSHARing
Exhibition strategy : summary
• Different exhibition formats,
• for different target groups,
• in different parts of the museum building,
• designed by different exhibition design teams,
• creating different atmospheres in each of the galleries.
Exhibitions: focus on target groups
Maritme experience/ Voyage at Seaexperience and immersion
East Indiaman Amsterdam experience and immersion
Thematic exhibitionsdiscovery and experience
Target group
Families School parties
Object exhibitionsdiscovery and enjoyment
Target group
Traditional museum visitorsMaritime specialists
Location of exhibitions within the building
EAST (‘Objects’)
Object exhibitions
WEST (‘Stories’)
Thematic exhibitions
Amsterdam
NORTH (‘Experience’)Voyage at SeaEast Indiaman
SOUTH -Entrance
The Open Courtyard
Inspiration for domed roof: lines on sea charts
EAST– Objects – The Navigational Instruments
EAST – Objects – The Globes
WEST – Stories – Golden Age exhibition
WEST –STORIES – The tale of the whale
WEST – Stories – Sal & Lori and Circus at Sea
NORTH – Experience – Voyage at Sea
NORTH –Experience – East Indiaman Amsterdam with Rinus the rat.
Possibilities and limitations
Working with top specialists in all disciplines
Possibilities and limitations
Raising huge budgets for the project:
Renovation € 58.0 mln-Ministries of Culture and Internal Affairs
Refurbishment € 17.5 mln-Het Scheepvaartmuseum
Commercial investments € 1.7 mln-Het Scheepvaartmuseum Enterprise
Impact on the organization of new approach
• Study visits in the Netherlands and abroad for all staff
• Hostmanship training for all staff
• Training in brand values for all departments
Impact on the organization of new approach
• New department: Sales & Events
Learning in the galleries: school groups
Learning in the galleries:family groups
Learning in the galleries:family groups
Programmes for traditional museum visitors and maritime specialists
Museum shop
Results?
• Since reopening 1 October 2011: 850.000 visitors,
• during visitor surveys: rating of 8 to 8.5 (out of 10),
• spontaneous brand awareness had doubled,
• many visits from Dutch and foreign colleagues and powerpoint
presentations elsewhere,
• many awards/nominations in the Netherlands and abroad.
What different?
How to move on from here?New (temporary) exhibitions on relevant topics: The Dark Chapter
How to move on from here?Production of travelling exhibitions: Lego Maritime Worlds
How to move on form here?Development of master plan for museum extension on former Navy premises next door
How to move on from here?Development of online strategy
How to move on from here?Close cooperation with all departments, especially Development/Sponsoring