Stedelijk

Project Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Architects Benthem Crouwel Architects
Photography Roos Aldershoff, G.J. van Rooij (images Collection).

The function of a museum is multifaceted.  It is a space where chairs are used often and very intensively, 16 hours a day, from all walks of life. This is a space where now and then red wine and coffee gets spilled, chairs are in constant movement and rearrangements. Once the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam reopened in 2012, Lensvelt has supplied furniture for the entrance hall, the Founders Room and various public rooms. The supplied furniture is designed by Joep van Lieshout, Richard Hutten, Mark van der Gronden and Paolo Rizzatto.

People are initially met in the main hall with the WH Gispen 301 Easy Chair or WH Gispen 302 Easy Chair from Lensvelt, that is accessible to anyone. The concept of the main hall of the Stedelijk is more than just a space for museum visitors to be directed to the various exhibitions. It is a common meeting space for the people of Amsterdam and those visiting it.

The Gispen Easy Chair, matching the W.H. Gispen Coffee Table is an open invitation in which visitors of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam can now sit, relax and have a drink. Furthermore, Lensvelt has also supplied furniture from the No Sign of Design collection by Richard Hutten. Currently situated in renovated Library since spring 2018.

In the past, the Stedelijk Museum had to buy new chairs every three years where the used chairs were thrown away. With Lensvelt’s concept of the Circular Pool, the chairs now remain the property of Lensvelt, having the Stedelijk rent the furniture pieces. Currently, the chairs have been there for six years and are still in perfect condition. The museum notifies Lensvelt as soon as a chair is in need of reparations, and then the materials will be replaced, recycled or refurbished which is a much more durable concept in our aims for a circular business model.