June 2024

 

Close to the bust seaside of the Hague, we find Museum Beelden aan Zee (Sculptures by the Sea), the only Dutch museum dedicated to sculptures. The building was designed by architect Wim Quist and opened in 1994. It is situated beneath the historical "Pavilion Von Wied," constructed in 1826 by King William I for his wife. The municipality of The Hague stipulated that the museum should not be visible from the nearby dunes, or the boulevard or the beach, not detract attention away from the historic pavilion. The result is seen on a drone picture made by photographer Vincent van Zeijst (Wiki-commons).

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The underground exhibition space is accommodated in two circular segments. One segment is roofed, the other consists of three ascending t terraces are for outdoor exhibitions. Visitors can enjoy a view of the surroundings and the sea from the museum's upper terrace. Both ‘halves’ of the museum are connected by a kind of corridor (under the pavilion) that receives daylight due to open spaces and a glass wall.

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The museum is not very big, and orientation is easy. Key features of the building are open space, light and colour. The building gives a spatial feeling, also because of the daylight. A glass strip in the roof along the curved concrete wall of the main exhibition provides much daylight. The materials used - concrete, granite, beech wood and pine - have a sand colour that fits well in the surrounding dunes and make the exhibition space light and airy.  The experience of inside – outside is also nice – the terraces show sculptures, and give a view of the sea, the sky and the boulevard, and the feel and smell of sea and wind.

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Even if you are not a lover of sculpture art, a visit to Beelden aan Zee is worth the effort. The building itself is a very nice architourism destination. I like it better than H.P. Berlage’s big and famous art-deco ‘masterpiece’ building The Hague Art Museum. 

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