The Hague, 3 June 2026 — Deerns is supporting the City of Rotterdam with the renovation and refurbishment of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. Deerns’ contribution to building physics, acoustics and lighting will help make the museum fit for the future.
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is one of the Netherlands’ most iconic museums, situated in the cultural heart of Rotterdam on the Museumpark. Closed since 2019, the museum is undergoing a large-scale renovation and refurbishment project. The Definitive Design (DD+) phase is complete and the museum along with the City of Rotterdam, has published the tender documentation and submitted the application for an environmental permit. Deerns is involved as a consultant for the museum lighting in collaboration with Hans Wolff and for building physics and acoustics with consultancy firm ZRi.
" We are dealing with a very fragile building. The challenge is to preserve its historical value and character, whilst ensuring it remains functional.
On to the next phase
With the DD+ as its foundation, the project is moving into the next phase: Deerns remains involved in the tendering process and continues to work on the technical design phase (TD) in close consultation with the contractor. In this phase, critical design choices are further developed and validated, including through mock-ups, so that the construction can proceed in a controlled and predictable manner.
Within the consultancy team, Deerns is working with BBM as restoration architect, Mecanoo as architect, Arup as MEP consultant, Pieters Bouwtechniek as structural consultant, and Vijverborgh for kitchens and events.
Following the selection of the contractor, the Deerns project team will be actively involved in further development during the Technical Design (TD) phase. The aim is to create a future-proof building that meets today’s requirements, provides space for the world-famous collection, and delivers high-quality visitor experience.
Ilse Dijkstra-Nugteren, Building Physics Consultant & Lighting Designer at Deerns, says: “With a listed building, sustainability measures must be virtually invisible. We have developed measures that improve the building envelope and the indoor climate without compromising its character.”
Monumental and future-proof
The building housing Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen comprises several historic sections from different periods. The renovation includes a new sunken entrance hall, logical and accessible routing through the building, improved facilities for visitors, a stronger connection with the city and Museumpark, and the restoration of historic sections of the building: Van der Steur, Bodon and the Van Beuningen-De Vriese Pavilion, designed by Henket.
These historic sections have merged over the years into an imposing complex. The current renovation will ensure that this ensemble enjoys improved functionality and is future-proofed. The new elements such as a sunken entrance, a covered courtyard and a loading dock will optimise accessibility, logistics, and use, all whilst preserving the historic character.
Building physics: invisibly stablising the museum’s climate
For the listed building, Deerns sought virtually invisible measures to improve thermal performance – essential for achieving a good indoor climate.
Close attention was paid to creating a suitable microclimate for the museum’s collection.
Acoustics: aural comfort in a dynamic museum
The project includes fitting a fully glazed canopy to the existing courtyard, transforming it into an indoor space. Acoustic simulations were used to investigate how acoustic comfort can be optimised for various usage scenarios in this inherently hard-surfaced space.
The museum must be able to accommodate guided tours, groups and events without compromising the tranquility and experience in the surrounding areas. Deerns has developed solutions to improve the room acoustics in the museum galleries by limiting reverberation time within the constraints of heritage and aesthetics.
Museum lighting: daylight experience, maximum flexibility
Boijmans has a clear ambition: to retain its character as a daylight museum whilst increasing its operational flexibility. Deerns is responsible for the lighting design, including museum lighting, general interior lighting in all public areas, the illumination of the external façade and the lighting of the outdoor grounds.
In the galleries, the focus is on precise adjustability of the lighting for each artwork, with appropriate light levels, optimal colour rendering and the correct colour temperature – creating a convincing daylight effect, even when natural daylight is limited or needs to be reduced for the conservation of the artworks.
As the museum forms part of the Museumpark and is an urban icon, the exterior lighting has been carefully designed to meet different needs. Towards the city, the lighting enhances visibility and safety; in the park area, the lighting is deliberately limited and directional, so as to minimise the impact on the ecology.
Deerns is transforming a monumental icon into a future-proof space with lasting value: safe for the collection, comfortable for visitors and flexible for the future.
