The New Rijksmuseum

The renovation of Amsterdam’s Rijksumusem, home to masterpieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer, began in 2003. Ten long years later, the museum reopened. In between, conservators meticulously restore works in the collection as curators eye potential purchases. But the vast majority of time is spent in meetings and stand-offs with politicians, a bicyclists union, designers, and staff, considering the flow of bikes through the city, the color of a gallery, or, aptly, how to best arrange a row of guns, all in the shadow of the spiraling budget. Oeke Hoogendijk captures this epic journey into remodeling hell in riveting detail.