With a new golden skin, the Museum W re-opens with an exhibition by local designers Job Smeets & Studio Job.
After closing in 2019 for an extended overhaul project, the Jacob van Horpe Municipal Museum in Weert, Netherlands has been re-christened as The Museum W. Originally the site of Weert’s city hall, the project was undertaken by interior designer and three-time recipient of the Dutch Design Award Maurice Mentjens. Mentjens’ design both renovated the historic structure and enlarged its floor plan, adding a new wing, extending the museum to a total of 12,200-square-feet.
Clad in Tecu®Gold panels, made of copper and aluminum alloys, the new wing features exterior shutters revealing windows and video screens, the latter which are employed to showcase video art or information on exhibitions. The golden facade features 1mm thick sheets, folded over at sides, along with 20mm-thick hard-pressed insulation panels behind each golden panel, giving the structure a sense of rigidity that’s meant to last due to the material’s resistance to rust, unlike brass.