Museum store Rijksmuseum Twenthe

In the beginning of 2017 we have transformed the store of Rijksmuseum Twenthe in Enschede, The Netherlands. There was a need to relocate the museum shop within the building and make it more visible, accessible and attractive for visitors. 

The main space with it's characteristic half round shape provided the starting point for the design. Alongside the wall are several radiators. In order to visually hide the radiators while keeping the structure open for convection, a construction was chosen based on vertical lamella. To make the interior visually coherent, the lamella have been applied as support structure for all the furniture elements.

By using a different color on either side of the lamella, an interesting visual effect occurs. The lamella along the round wall, 'turn' and change color from light blue to white. The counter and shelves are blue or white, depending on the point of view. The colours of the furniture are chosen to fit with the existing stained glass windows and the floor tiles.

The store is located right next to the entrance of the museum. In the hallway there is large window, opening up to the shop. This view into the shop was a very important aspect for the design of the layout of the space. Deliberately this view has been kept open so that it provides an inviting view, right when vistors enter the museum

A prominent place is for displaying the postcards, the bestseller item of the shop. A large shelve has been designed specifically for this purpose.

In cooperation with: Koehorst in 't Veld

Furniture building: Jonas Lutz

Photography: Ronald Smits

Year: 2017