ABSTRACT
In the 1860s, the idea to build a museum in Amsterdam was launched by the local dignitary, soon supported by the national government. After a competition, Pierre Cuypers was appointed as the architect for the Rijksmuseum, officially opened in 1885. Even though Cuypers had to revise his design for the building several times and some elements had not been executed as he wished, the Rijksmuseum is seen as the apex of his oeuvre. In the course of history, the museum underwent numerous transformations, mainly because of a lack of space, the increasing number of visitors, and changing fashion and ideas in museology. A master plan for a large renovation of the museum was set up in the 1990s, and a competition was organized. The reconstruction of the interior decoration has been another topic of discussion because the intense colours and strong iconographic decoration might interfere with contemporary preferences as to art exhibition.
