News / Glazed roof, The National Maritime Museum, Amsterdam completed (NL) - (20/05/2011)
The opening of the completely renovated Maritime Museum conceived by DOK Architects is planned for the end of September 2011. The recently delivered glazed roof was designed by the Brussels office of Ney & Partners.
The Dutch Preservation of Monuments Board imposed stringent requirements for renovation of this 17th century former naval warehouse: As little alteration to the monument as possible and the creation of a semi-outdoor climate for the courtyard. The patterns of wind roses on historical Dutch nautical maps, preserved in the collection of the museum, were the inspiration for this sophisticated and slender structure.
The new dome is an example for an integrated design approach. Aiming to cover the 34 m by 34 m courtyard with a construction as slender as possible, it was achieved by tailoring elements to each other. The maximum height of 5m of the lightly curved dome was determined by the height of the surrounding museum roof. Rationalisation was used to divide the form into triangles, quadrangles, pentagons and hexagons, of which almost 75 percent are triangles. The dome shape results from an optimisation process which targeted material efficiency whilst maintaining glass planarity.
To preserve the outdoor climate, a special glass build-up, which is impervious to heat but which lets light and colour penetrate, was specially designed for this project. The sun-screening coating on the glass allows additional climate control. The glazing was designed to be insulating whilst being fully accessible for maintenance. A ring beam copes with the tensile forces in the dome structure, whereas the vertical forces are transmitted into the existing masonry walls of the museum building. The four corners of the building, which is founded on wooden piles, were strengthened with additional piles.
An open vent along the cornice of the dome enables natural ventilation. More than 6000 different steel elements were used for the dome, notably 868 node elements. The total weight of the roof and that of the steel structure are 214 tonnes and 148 tonnes respectively. The glass weighs about 62 tonnes with a total of 1016 panels. 2,2 km of rectangular steel bars have been welded together. LED-lights have been integrated into the node elements; the wiring is integrated in a specially designed aluminium profile that also supports the glass panels. A bespoke computer system allows control over each individual LED light, permitting different lighting patterns and colours for functional, safety and scenographic usages.
This new glazed roof makes visual reference to the past, whilst offering the museum new opportunities for the future.
Picture copyright: Martin Waalboer
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