Rijksmuseum Site Analysis

This site analysis will discuss how the late 20th century is presented in the Rijksmuseum and how this fits into the broader narrative that the museum tells with its collection; the story of the Netherlands. Lord and Lord argue that visitor experience, ‘begins as the visitor approaches and enters the museum, with the physical reality of the site, the architectural presence of the museum, and its location all conveying messages about the contents of the museum.’ The Rijksmuseum is a large, grand building; it projects the idea that what the visitor is about to see is important and true, thus conveying a sense of history and tradition before stepping through the entrance. When one enters the museum there appears to be an effective medley of the traditional and the modern. This is because of the modernist intervention that took place in early 20th century as the collections grew.

The late 20th century part of the Rijksmuseum is rather unoccupied in comparison to its neighbors on the floors below, which is disappointing as the foyer gives hope that the old and the new will be represented on equal terms within the museum. The 20th century collection itself seems rather limited, as if the museum is centered on telling the story of the more distant past, despite the debate that has ensued since the very first day it opened in the 19th century. However, this is understandable, as Tim Zeedijk states, that the Rijksmuseum is concerned with telling the story that it can through the collections that it holds and it is clear that most of the collection held is from earlier historical