This is a rocking bit of adaptive reuse, a renovation and addition to an existing park museum that ties the converted building into the landscape to be completely in tune with its mission and exploration of the park and the natural environment that surrounds it.

What a great idea.  The building takes the existing hexagonal roofs and extends them down to the ground before covering them all in greenery, creating, in effect,  a series of polygonal hills through which even runs a stream.  New window openings in the roof both bring natural light deep into the exhibition space below, and also allow for new second floor offices and meeting rooms.   Best of all is a boardwalk-like path that leads up from the ground to walk amongst those roofs, culminating in a lookout post that hovers over a marsh, the impetus for this park (with water management being of prime importance in the Netherlands…).

This sculptural outside is carried through on the inside too.  The shapely forms coupled with circular lights is a great backdrop for the art and exhibits, inviting exploration.  At the same time, I really like the angular windows that pulls the eyes out to the landscape, the very park and life that the museum references.

Plenty of light and the ‘pod’ like nature of the original building makes for an airy and lively feeling, and a natural-feeling grouping for the various exhibits .

There’s a lot going on here I’m really loving.  The adaptive reuse of the existing museum, the greenery and the connection to the surroundings (including a stream that extends from within the building to the waterway outside), the great handling of light, sustainable design, and the expressive spaces, complete with moments to just sit, look out the window, and contemplate.

Very cool.  Gotta add this one to my list of places to visit.  The Biesbosch Museum Island by Studio Marco Vermeulen.