Museum or Exhibition Space

Winner: Dutch Silver Museum by Tinker Imagineers

Photo: Mike Bink

The Dutch Silver Museum is a fun and contemporary museum aimed at entertaining visitors of all ages. Tinker imagineers has succeeded in reinventing the story of silver in a refreshing and engaging manner. Highlights from the permanent collection have been positioned in a playful and alluring presentation, drawing visitors to interact with the exhibits. The eye-catching piece of the collection is a 14m-long display table that is laid out with argent cutlery, plates and burning candles, conveying a sense of joy, festivity and glamour. The set up also serves as a timeline for visitors to witness how the design of silver has changed over the centuries.

Multimedia presentations are in place to explain the various traditions, from baroque to Empire style and from Amsterdam School to the present. Visitors are invited to sit around the beautifully laid table. Themed cabinets placed around the display table tell a story of their own. For example the 'Man and Woman' cabinet reflects the typical, everyday objects used by each gender, while the 'Dead or Alive' cabinet combines the Dutch traditions from when a baby is born with those objects used in funerals. The sides of the cabinets offer visitors an entertaining way to interact with their surroundings through show-boxes, videos, quizzes and humorous observations. The 'Serving' cabinet, for instance, challenges individuals to guess which spoon corresponds with which dish. All in all, the Dutch Silver Museum sets its visitors on an adventure to explore the old and the new, with silver work as the link.

The judges said:
'Lots of beautiful displays, all different yet hanging together and holding interest'
'Very clever, fun, nicely done, intriguing'

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