Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. Restoration and Transformation of a National Monument is the ultimate reference work on the history, restoration and renewal of the most famous museum in the Netherlands. The entire history from Cuypers to Cruz y Ortiz No building in the Netherlands has such a tempestuous relationship with Dutch identity as the Rijksmuseum. This book traces the history of the "National Project Rijksmuseum. From the creation of the building under Cuypers, its relationship to the collection, its location in the city and its social context, to the formulation of the task of restoration and the long road to its successful reopening in 2013. Ever since its construction in 1885 by architect P.J.H. Cuypers, the building was seen and criticized as a national symbol. The neo-Gothic architecture was too Catholic, the building too large and complex. Yet the 'Rijks' proved an effective mirror and signboard for the nation's self-image. A team of specialists extensively documents the building's design history and its transformation into a twenty-first century museum.