Huis van Leyden
2025
The ‘Huis van Leyden’ project will create a new public home for an extensive collection of medieval religious artworks and artefacts, mostly from the Netherlands, the Low Countries, and the Rhineland, embodying a tradition of Christian thought. Located in the heart of the historic Dutch city of Leiden, the site sits between the grand Pieterskerk to the east and the Rapenburg Canal and University to the west. Centred around the sensitive renovation of a 17th and 18th-century mansion house, a group of new extensions will connect the historic buildings, unifying the site and establishing a new public entrance off the Pieterskerkhof.
The development will create various spaces for displaying art. There will also be facilities for research, education, work, and charitable pursuits, and the building will host performances and music recitals associated with dining and hospitality. A new chapel will be built at the heart of the buildings. The spaces for this diverse range of uses will be interwoven around garden courtyards.
Our practice was appointed to create an overall vision for this significant site. We are collaborating with Bierman Henket (NL) and Selldorf Architects (USA) to produce designs for the new-build extensions, alongside sensitive transformation and renovation works to historically listed buildings. There is a 17th-century mansion house with a significant 18th-century addition, most recently used as a public school, and a 1920s school building in the style of the Amsterdam School. The restoration of centuries-old fabric and the careful stitching of the new additions will create a cohesive collection of spaces that befits the historic setting and adds to the rich cultural offering of Leiden. By using local materials, a high-performance envelope, and careful daylight control, we will ensure the priceless collection is housed in an elegant, sustainable, and inspiring new home.