The government is making €10 million available for the restoration of Aquarium ARTIS. The province of North Holland will contribute €3 million.
ARTIS can now complete the plans for the sustainability and restoration of the monument. The building will soon be even more accessible to residents and visitors. The reopening is planned for autumn 2025. The government is making €15 million available for a number of urgent restorations of major national monuments in the Netherlands. 10 million euros will go to the ARTIS Aquarium.
Now that the government’s contribution is final, the province of North Holland is also contributing to the restoration of this national monument. The total provincial contribution is €3 million. The province had previously promised the contribution on the condition that the government would provide €10 million in coverage.
Jelle Beemsterboer, Heritage Commissioner: “We are very happy that we can cover a large part of the costs together with the government. The aquarium is inextricably linked to the zoo but has been closed for more than 2 years due to necessary repairs. It is a great prospect that thousands of visitors will soon be able to enjoy the unique building and the enchanting underwater world again.”
Preserved for the future
In 1882, the Artis Natura Magistra society opened the doors of what was then the largest and most modern aquarium in Europe. The aquarium is one of the most striking 19th-century buildings in Amsterdam. The salt from the saltwater basins has seeped into the walls and now poses a danger to the building. Reason for a large-scale restoration to save the monument and preserve it for the future. The building will be made maximally sustainable inside and out and will be even more accessible to the public. Moreover, the Aquarium will soon tell an urgent story about our relationship with water and the importance of clean and healthy water.
More about the history and restoration of the ARTIS aquarium on the website.