Press Release
April 3, 2013
New Rijksmuseum illuminated with Philips LED lighting
New light on old masterpieces
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Rijksmuseum and Philips announce the world’s most advanced LED lighting design
in a museum of fine art
Philips illuminates renovated Rijksmuseum, including all artworks
Amsterdam – Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) announces the
illumination of the renovated Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and its entire art exhibition with its
LED lighting. As one of the lead partners in the renovation, Philips has been working closely
with the Rijksmuseum on the lighting design with a strong focus on the visitor experience
and the conservation of the artworks. The renovated Rijksmuseum opens its doors on April
13, showcasing collections of the Dutch Masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer, all
illuminated with Philips LED lighting.
The LED lighting solution creates effects and visual contrasts that closely mimic the color
rendition of natural daylight, presenting the artwork in the best way and enhancing the visitor
experience. With more than 9,500 square meters and 7,500 artworks illuminated, it is the
largest gallery space ever lit by LED. In addition, Philips’ LEDs light the museum’s public
spaces including the shop, the atriums, the restaurant as well as the outdoor area and
building façade.
“We are very proud of working with the Rijksmuseum on this innovative and monumental
renovation,” said Rogier van der Heide, Chief Design Officer and Vice President at Philips
Lighting. “The lighting solution is the result of a unique collaborative effort with the
Rijksmuseum and the architects, using Philips’ knowledge of the art and science of
illumination to achieve a quality of light that truly brings out the detail of each masterpiece.”
Philips developed, implemented and detailed the lighting of the new Rijksmuseum. Philips
cooperated closely with the museum staff, the museum’s architects Wilmotte & Associés and
Cruz y Ortiz to realize the interior lighting design and also worked with the
Rijksgebouwendienst (the Government Buildings Agency part of the Ministry of Interior and
Kingdom Relations, the owner of the building) to realize plans for the outdoor lighting.
Experience and preservation of the artworks are paramount
Lighting influences the way we look at art in a museum and is crucial to showcase every
single detail of the artwork. The illumination of each art piece has been individually tuned
and focused to bring out its unique features and to ensure the best possible experience for
visitors.
Tim Zeedijk, Head of Exhibitions at the Rijksmuseum outlined the reasons behind their
choice: “At the heart of all the decisions we take are two aspects, the visitor’s experience of
the museum and the preservation of our art. We chose LED lighting for firstly, the high
quality of the light emitted, and secondly the color rendering of LED lighting, which is very
close to that of daylight. This allows the art to be viewed in the best light possible to bring out
all the colors and details that the artist intended us to see. LED lighting in particular outlines
the visual contrast and relief in the paintings. We see this in the way we light our sculptures,
but also the paintings with thick impasto. For example, when viewing Rembrandt’s work,
LED light reveals more of the detail.
Tim Zeedijk also added: “A significant advantage of the new generation of LED lighting is
that there is hardly any radiation of heat and no harmful UV beams being emitted on the art
pieces, this means the art is better protected. In addition, LEDs have a longer life span and
require less maintenance than halogen lighting, which is more commonly used in museums.
Moreover, the ease of use was also important to our curators. Philips offers a solution that
allows us to dim individual lighting fixtures using an iPad – solutions like this are
indispensable in the dynamic Rijksmuseum.”
The LED solution from Philips emits uniform light that is safe for the artworks and meets
international criteria for the conservation of art. Neutral white light brings out colors in all their
details, whether greens/blues or red/yellows, showing artworks as if viewed in ‘high
definition.
World’s most advanced lighting solution in a museum of fine art
The new LED lighting illuminates artworks that date back to the Middle Ages. In total, the
lighting illuminates 7,500 artworks spanning several centuries. Philips’ lighting solution
consists of ¾ of a million LEDs, including 3,800 LED spots, more than 1.8 kilometers of LED
lighting the ceiling and an advanced LED lighting control system via a mobile application for
museum employees to use.
Please note that high resolution pictures will become available on April 4, 2013 at 9.00 CET
at www.philips.com/newscenter.
For additional press information, please contact:
Santa van der Laarse
Philips Corporate Communications
Tel: +31653400056
E-mail : santa.van.der.laarse@philips.com
Shai Dewan
Philips Lighting Communications
Tel: +31620695822
E-mail: shai.dewan@philips.com
About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being
company, focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of
Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips
posted 2012 sales of EUR 24.8 billion and employs approximately 118,000 employees with
sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care,
acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting
applications, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips
is located at www.philips.com/newscenter