Paulus Potterstraat 7
Period of construction: 1998-1999

No other place in the world boasts as many paintings by Vincent van Gogh as the Van Gogh Museum. A visit to this museum is a truly unique experience. The recent addition of a new wing has expanded the area for changing exhibitions. The Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa designed this new wing. Her Royal Highness Queen Beatrix opened the extension on June 24, 1999. Kurokawa became famous for his original designs for the Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia.

Titanium
The new wing is shaped like a small eclipse and measures approximately ten meters by 76 meters. The wing is a striking round building with a large underground extension. It is linked with the main museum building, which dates from the 1960s. The architect used costly materials to construct the wing. The facade and the roof of the new section were covered with titanium. The wall was executed in a flamed natural stone and the sunken pond was made of slate.

Main building
The original main building on Museumplein was the only building of the Van Gogh Museum. Both the permanent collection and the changing exhibitions were presented here. Now the main building is used exclusively for the permanent collection. Gerrit Rietveld designed it in 1963. The architect passed away before building commenced and his partners finished his design. The most striking feature of the main building is the central stairwell. Daylight streams in to the museum rooms from this stairwell. At the time when the extension was added, Griener Van Goor Architects renovated the main building.