The LAB
The Amsterdam Museum
Since its permanent location is undergoing extensive renovations, the Amsterdam Museum was temporarily relocated to the Hermitage Amsterdam in March 2022.
The museum has taken up residence in the Hermitage's Amsterdam Museum wing, where it showcases an entirely new collection, created by Studio LA. The exhibition 'Panorama Amsterdam: a Living History of the City' offers the visitor a multifaceted picture of the many histories of the city of Amsterdam. By connecting stories from the past, present, and future, a broader perspective of the city emerges: Amsterdam in all of its facets.
The Lab
At the centre of the exhibition, Studio LA created a laboratory, a rectangular space showing new perspectives on the collection and making connections between current themes and historical objects. From the rooftop of the laboratory, the audience can have a bird's-eye perspective of the works and the space. This space is also intended to be used by artists in residence.
The lab is a spatial intervention that stimulates creating new connections between the present day and the historical works.
Creating a beautifully layered depth with Marmoleum
For the design of the space, the idea was to offer an accessible, light, and optimistic atmosphere. A cool light colour scheme was selected to create an environment that generates the feeling of having space to breathe and think, and to offer a future-oriented spatial experience, open for change.
To create this mood, a light pink and light grey colour was selected for the walls. For the flooring, Marmoleum Concrete 3739 blue glow has been installed, selected for its cool tone and its richness in colour details, giving the surface a beautifully layered depth.
Inclusive architecture
Studio LA is an architectural practice in Amsterdam, founded by architects Lorien Beijaert and Arna Mačkić. A recurring theme in the work of Studio LA is the accessibility of cities, buildings, and the public domain. Their architectural projects often relate to inclusion and exclusion mechanisms, refugees, and collective identity.
Studio LA has won several awards, including the Dutch Design Award 2014 and the Maaskant Prize for Young Architects 2017. In 2021, they received the Groninger Architectuurprijs for Het Geheugenbalkon (the Memory Balcony). In April 2022, Studio LA was nominated for the Prix the Rome Architecture award, the oldest and most prestigious architecture award in The Netherlands.
With special thanks to:
Arna Mačkić
Gal Keshet | directing, filming and editing
Marijn Smulders | photography portrait Arna Mačkić
Siese Veenstra | photography of The Memory Balcony
Amsterdam Museum | photography exhibition Amsterdam Museum in Hermitage