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