Valkhof Museum Renovation

Originally designed by UNS in 1995 and completed in 1998, the museum has been renewed through a strategy of editing rather than replacing. Sustainability was approached through precision: the existing facade was carefully dismantled, re-insulated with a higher-performing alternative, and the original glass panels cleaned and reinstalled. The rippling suspended ceiling in the public spaces has been replaced with PET felt lamellas to improve acoustics and long-term maintenance, while exhibition ceilings were removed entirely — reducing material use and opening up the rooms. A bold shared colour palette and a new circular geometric language provided a common framework for contributions from interior designer Ineke Hans, graphic studio Thonik, and the wider project team, ensuring that architecture, interiors, and identity work as one.

The renovation reorganises the museum around a clearer public logic. The cafe has moved to the front of the building, now visible from the square outside and opening onto a new exterior terrace. A new auditorium adjoins the education spaces at the rear, with shared space between them for flexible combined use. Two new internal openings bring daylight into the basement and allow visitors to look directly into the restoration workshop — making the building one the public can use, not just visit. The facade, previously partly closed, is now entirely glazed, and the multifunctional staircase — the organisational spine of the original design — has been transformed with coloured risers and refreshed balustrades, improving both legibility and accessibility for all visitors.