On Friday 19 June the Hermitage Museum in Amsterdam was opened in a spectacular manner. Guests included Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The former nursing home has been completely restyled and now meets all the demands of a contemporary museum in an ancient building. Built in 1683, the museum stretches over 13,000sqm and will receive an estimated 300,000 to 350,000 visitors a year.

Approaching the monument respectfully, engineers from Deerns have succeeded in designing technical installations that create a comfortable environment for the public and the artworks. The architectural design of Hans Heeswijk facilitates a broad spectrum of technical installations.

Please see the Hermitage website at http://www.hermitage.nl/en/index.htm for more information about the museum.