The National History Museum in Arnhem shares a square with the open-air National Heritage Museum opposite it. Its sculptural tower is based on the so-called Canon of Dutch History, merging future and past, and futurism with tradition.
The building comprises six rings that encircle an impressive conical sky-lit atrium. While the structure is made of steel, the facade is clad in brick as a nod to Dutch masonry traditions.
The museum presents the history of the Netherlands using not only artefacts but also contemporary multimedia techniques. The architecture heightens and embodies the concept of the museum, which features fifty ‘canon windows’, one for each of the historical topics, distributed over five rings.
The first ring portrays prehistoric and Roman times. From the fifth ring dedicated to the twentieth century, visitors can see the Netherlands of today.
The sixth ring functions like a forum and accommodates an auditorium and radio and television studio. The tower rises from an elevated base that slopes off the square, with a restaurant, media library, education space, temporary exhibition space and museum shop underneath.
An optional basement corridor connects the museum with the Mecanoo-designed HollandRama panoramic theatre at the National Heritage Museum.