Major renovation planned for Amsterdam Royal Palace next year

The Royal Palace on Dam Square in Amsterdam will undergo major renovations next year. The restoration work will focus on the roof, including the statues, the slates on the outer roofs, and the dome, AT5 reports.

Architect Hans Vlaardingerbroek is in charge of the project. His main goal is to restore everything while protecting the 17th-century architectural style.

The renovations affect all the eye-catching features of the palace. “The large statues that everyone sees and knows,” Vlaardingerbroek said to the Amsterdam broadcaster. “And also the corner crowns, and I don’t just mean the crowns, but also the eagles that stand below them on the corner pavilions of the building.”

Part of the restorations involves putting gold leaf on the corner crowns. “We are going to gild it as it was originally and for centuries afterward,” the architect said. “Soon, they will be completely covered in gold leaf, giving a completely different picture. Now they are green, and you can hardly see them against the sky. Then the corners will really shine with gold.”

The statues visible from Dam Square will also be restored. “If you look closely, you can see dark brown dots on the statues,” Vlaardingerborek said. “Those are the iron pins that rusted. Each of those pins will soon, or already, leak. In the long run, you do not want leakages and, therefore, moisture in the statues.”

The renovations won’t impact visitors to the palace. There is no indication of costs yet, but the regular budget for the restoration of the Palace will pay for it. The renovations will likely be completed in 2025 or 2026.

The exterior of the palace was renovated in 2009 to 2011.