Since September 2020, Museum Het Schip has highlighted the treasure of its collection: the former post office designed by Michel de Klerk. This post office is a significant historical monument, as it is the only original 1920s post office in the Netherlands that still exists. It was built during a period when the Dutch PTT and the Rijks Post Spaarbank placed great emphasis on innovative design.
The postal service left the building at the end of 1999, after which it became part of Museum Het Schip. The grass-green paint left behind by the PTT was removed, revealing the original blue-grey linseed oil paint beneath. Over the past three years, the space has been undergoing extensive restoration and has not been accessible to the public.
To celebrate the re-opening, Museum Het Schip curates an exhibition on the fascinating history of the post office, featuring original drawings by Michel de Klerk.
The exhibition can be visited by joining the guided tours Museum Het Schip organizes every day. In addition there are two expanded guided tours (in Dutch) visiting the post office:
Treasures of social housing at 11.15
Michel de Klerk at 15.15
This exhibition has been made possible by the heart-warming initiative 'De kracht van onze Nederlandse Collecties' by the Rembrandt Association and the Turing Foundation. It is a teaser for the permanent exhibition of the post office, made possible by Stichting Dioraphte.
An exhibition by Museum Het Schip
Curated by Alice Roegholt, Ton Heijdra and Umberto Santi
Graphic design by Main studio Edwin van Gelder, Fabienne Müller
Spatial design by Maurice Bogaert
With special thanks to:
Architect / artist Kengo Kuma (Kengo Kuma and associates)
Mediamuseum Beeld en Geluid Den Haag
Het Nieuwe Instituut
