Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum has announced plans to open its first satellite branch in the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven, marking a significant expansion for the national museum and a major cultural development for the region.
The new outpost will be located on parkland along the River Dommel, close to Eindhoven’s central railway station. According to the museum, the building will cover approximately 3,500 square metres and is expected to take between six and eight years to complete, with its opening scheduled for the early 2030s. It will be the Rijksmuseum’s first permanent branch in its 227-year history.
The project is being developed in partnership with the municipality of Eindhoven, which will finance the construction of the building. Dutch semiconductor company ASML has been named as a founding partner. Detailed plans for the building and its design are expected to be drawn up in the coming year.
The Rijksmuseum has said the Eindhoven location will allow it to display more of its extensive collection, which comprises more than one million objects, many of which are currently kept in storage. While the museum’s main site in Amsterdam will continue to house its most famous works by Dutch masters like Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals and Rachel Ruysch, the new branch will host a rotating programme of exhibitions drawn from the national collection.
“The new museum in Eindhoven will allow the Rijksmuseum to increase the visibility of its collection and make art accessible to a wider audience,” the museum said in a statement.
Museum representatives have indicated that the Eindhoven outpost will have a distinct profile, with an emphasis on design, craftsmanship and technology, reflecting the city’s history and its role as a centre of innovation and industry. Works from the Amsterdam collection may be loaned to Eindhoven, but the branch is not intended to replicate the capital’s displays.
Rijksmuseum director Taco Dibbits highlighted that the expansion was part of a broader effort to make the national collection more accessible across the country, particularly in the south of the Netherlands. He described the project as an important step in sharing Dutch cultural heritage beyond Amsterdam.
Local officials have welcomed the announcement, saying the museum will strengthen Eindhoven’s cultural standing and complement its existing institutions.
“The Rijksmuseum in Eindhoven will be a valuable addition to the cultural landscape of Brabant and beyond,” said Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Eindhoven’s mayor and former Dutch finance minister. “This museum is set to become a place where everyone can enjoy a unique blend of history and creativity.”
The move also comes amid ongoing concerns about visitor pressure in Amsterdam. The Rijksmuseum attracts millions of visitors each year – nearly 2.5 million in 2024 – contributing to congestion in the historic city centre. By establishing a major cultural destination elsewhere in the country, the museum hopes to encourage a more balanced spread of visitors.
Once completed, the Eindhoven branch is expected to attract audiences from across the Netherlands and abroad, extending the Rijksmuseum’s reach and strengthening Eindhoven’s position within the country’s cultural landscape.
