The New Rijksmuseum

The Renovation of a Great Museum

In 2003, the ambitious renovation of one of the world's greatest museums began. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, home to glorious masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer and others, was supposed to reopen its doors in 2008 after five years of construction.

But from the start the project was in trouble. The museum battled politicians, designers, curators and even the Dutch Cyclists Union as the workers struggled to complete the job. Five years later than expected, with costs exceeding half a billion dollars, the museum finally reopened.

"A surprisingly thrilling and rich examination of a massive cultural institution's re-making." - Landon Palmer, Film School Rejects