Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Architect: Hans van Heeswijk Architects.

The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg has a vast collection of three million works of art, and to showcase some of these pieces, the museum established an annex in Amsterdam. The Hermitage Amsterdam is located in the Amstelhof building, which was previously a home for the elderly for over 400 years. The building was restored and refurbished into an exhibition building and Russian cultural center. The center includes a library, documentation center, shops, and hosts concerts, symposiums, and lectures. The visitor enters the building through the courtyard to the east wing, which includes a foyer, auditorium, and restaurant. The garden wing is open to the public and functions as a central meeting point in the building, with a large auditorium, smaller halls, a shop, and a café-restaurant with a terrace. The two exhibition wings hold temporary exhibitions in two large halls surrounded by cabinets. The Hermitage Amsterdam has won several awards, including the Dutch Building Award in 2011, the Dutch Design Award, and the Geurt Brinkgreve Bokaal in 2009. The Neerlandia building on Nieuwe Herengracht has become the Hermitage for Children.

Photo credit: Luuk Kramer.