Protected atmosphere

Precious museum pieces are stored and restoration work takes place in the depot of the Dutch Maritime Museum. For both functions, strict climatic requirements have to be met. For this reason, the building is largely closed and introverted, in accordance with the ‘box-in-box’ principle.

The entire storage space and a number of workshops are housed in a two-storey concrete box. A steel box which surrounds this contains all the servicing installations with their pipes and cables. Because the depot is not accessible to the public, a location within the walls of the highly secure naval base next to the museum could be used. The 90-metre-long building is clad entirely with titanium, a durable material which causes the building’s appearance to change with the changing light and weather conditions. (ARCAM/BU)