Reopening of the original main entrance of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, 5,000 people expected

The Amsterdam Concertgebouw will reopen the old main entrance at the front of the building on Saturday. The entrance on the Museumplein side had been closed since 1988 for logistical reasons.

Outgoing State Secretary Gunay Uslu (Culture and Media) will officially open the entrance around noon. About 5,000 interested people are expected to attend the spectacle. Furthermore, spectators will be able to visit the rest of the Concertgebouw and attend concerts by the UvA Orchestra J.Pzn Sweelinck and singer-songwriter Jeangu Macrooy.

According to Concertgebouw director Simon Reinink, the reopening of the original entrance serves two purposes: a better flow of visitors and a better connection to the Museumplein. The current main entrance on the side of the building will also remain open. In the future, visitors will see on their tickets which entrance they can use to enter.

After the Concertgebouw underwent major renovation and remodeling in the 1980s, the main entrance was moved to the new annex at the Concertgebouwplein designed by architect Pi de Bruin. This entrance is still used as the main entrance.

In recent years, however, there has been an increasing desire to restore the connection to Museumplein. According to the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, "Every day thousands of people from Amsterdam pass by the front of the Concertgebouw without noticing all the beautiful things going on inside the building." The goal of reopening the historic entrance is to restore this connection, as stated on the website of the Concertgebouw.