The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has announced an $11.5 million permanent sculpture garden, funded by a €60 million donation from the Don Quixote Foundation. Designed by Foster + Partners and landscape architect Piet Blanckaert, the garden will transform three areas of the museum grounds into a permanent display of Modern and contemporary sculpture, featuring works by Alberto Giacometti, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, and Roni Horn. Three existing pavilions will be converted into exhibition spaces, and the garden is slated to open later this year, pending local council approval.
This expansion marks a strategic shift for the Rijksmuseum, best known for its Dutch Golden Age collection, as it seeks to showcase more of its vast holdings and strengthen its Modern and contemporary art program. It follows the museum's recent announcement of a satellite museum in Eindhoven, signaling a broader ambition to increase public access and institutional relevance. The project also underscores the growing role of private philanthropy—here from billionaire Rolly van Rappard's foundation—in funding major museum infrastructure.