Description of the attraction
The Sculptures by the Sea Museum is located in the seaside district of The Hague. It was opened in 1994 by collectors Theo and Lida Scholten. It is the only museum in the Netherlands that only specializes in sculpture.
The museum exhibits contemporary sculpture, both Dutch and foreign. Three times a year (sometimes more often) the curators of the museum organize a new exhibition in the main hall of the museum. These can be both thematic exhibitions and exhibitions of one sculptor. The museum sees its task in "expressing the feelings and experiences of a person through various forms and materials."
Since 2004, the building of the museum houses the Institute of Sculpture, a research institute dealing with the problems of modern sculpture. During the opening hours of the museum, visitors can use the library of the institute.
The museum building itself deserves special attention. It was built by the architect Wim Kvist. Before granting a building permit, the municipality of The Hague made a demand: "The museum must not be seen from the dunes." Therefore, almost the entire museum is located underground, with terraces on the surface of the dunes, which are also not visible from a distance. The museum is also not visible from the boulevard, and the sea is visible from the roof of the museum, but neither the boulevard nor the Scheveningen beach is visible. As a result, the museum is very difficult to find, although signs lead to it. The glass and concrete building is spread over several levels, with light coming from different locations. Part of the museum exposition is located in open areas (in bad weather, visitors are given raincoats). The museum has a café and a bookstore.
In 2004-2010, there was an outdoor sculpture garden by the American artist Tom Otterness on the boulevard. The funny figures especially delighted the children.
