Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, has been operating since 1984 as a state museum. Built in the 17th century, in the period 1686-1688, for William of Orange, it was used until the 20th century as the summer residence of the royal family. The last year he remained associated with the House of Orange-Nassau was 1962, when Queen Wilhelmina died. This is one of the popular attractions of the Netherlands, a magnificent baroque palace organized as an architectural composition among vast gardens and forests. It was reopened, completely renamed after the completion of a bold restoration, renovation and expansion signed by KAAN architects following an architectural competition in 2016. The project has been completed and the result shows us how the architectural perception of our time can be combined with cultural heritage and, most importantly, benefit both parties.

The project included the addition of 5,000 m2 of new premises, a thorough restoration of the palace complex, and the removal of asbestos. All this contributed to the extension of the life of the monument and its transfer to the next generations, so that everyone could enjoy this unique symbiosis of history, art and nature. Waters, dense forests and raging vegetation from the very beginning contributed to the fact that the palace became the hunting center of the House of Orange in the perception of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Respecting tradition and history, the architects of the KAAN office decided that all modern extensions would be built underground, and the new central fountain with glass surfaces and natural stone would be part of a complex architectural concept in direct dialogue. with the baroque heritage of the palace gardens. The renovated Het Loo Palace opened its new functions on April 22 and is already associated with the new tourist season in the Netherlands.

The new extensions will function primarily as showrooms. The impression of spaciousness is supported (as in the historical palace) by 5-meter ceilings. Next to the wing dedicated to the history of the House of Orange, a museum was created especially for children.

Views of the world

The Musée Pera, with its famous collections and interesting periodical exhibitions, also has a collection of postcards, mostly from the period 1890-1914, the main subject of which is the female and sometimes the male body. These postcards, which were popular and collected, show the impact that the spread of the image and the development of communication had on the appearance of suggestive erotica.

The Warsaw Ghetto Museum has teamed up with the Kordegada Gallery for a new exhibition that reveals the unknown aspects of the tragic fate of thousands of Polish Jews. From burnt children’s shoes to cracked kitchen utensils, all items found in the Jewish area are on display. The exhibition titled “Memory of 1943” is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the ghetto uprising against the Nazis.

A visual activity facility on the roof of the New York Metropolitan, evokes the atmosphere of ancient Egypt. This year’s commission went to California-based artist Lauryn Halsey, inspired by the museum’s Egyptian collections. But this is not a simple copy. She combines her neo-Egyptian style with the pharaonic jazz of George Clinton and the street culture of the Los Angeles area where she grew up and lives.

The Vienna Historical Museum will dedicate its autumn exhibition to the art of tapestries, which were associated with a festive ritual in the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Precious fibers and silk came from Brussels. The Vienna Museum will present outstanding examples of Flemish art in a way that reveals this unique art that reached its peak in the 16th century.

Forty-one years after her death, Romy Snyder still captivates. The exhibition dedicated to her life and legend was born last year, on the occasion of her 40th anniversary, was presented in Paris and now, until June, will be in Brussels, at the Cinema Palace (Boulevard Anspach, 85). A symbol of European cinema, Snyder is presented in a cinematic manner, chronologically and thematically, with plenty of photographs and archival material.