RAADhuis

At the RAADhuis in Schijndel, you can do all sorts of things you are not normally allowed to do in a museum or library, like touching sculptures and choosing objects in the depot. Find paintings and literature on walls, ceilings, and even hidden under the floor. Get a device at the front desk to go on an interactive scavenger hunt, responding to the works on display.

The former town hall of Schijndel, in Brabant, has been repurposed as RAADhuis: a combination of library, museum, tourist office and civic affairs department of the municipality. The richly detailed 1960 Bossche School building was restored to its original state as much as possible: the old council chamber furniture was reused (the lectern I saw in old photos we had to retrieve from a former mayor who took it home as retirement present) and light fixtures were retrieved from the dusty attic. Leftover pieces of marble were reused for book supports and pedestals.

All spaces were themed ("the art of...") according to the function of the space, always with an interactive element and matching works from the municipal art collection and literature from the library collection.