ARTIS Aquarium facade restored
- 24 May 2024
A major milestone in the restoration of the ARTIS Aquarium has been reached.
The national monument is out of scaffolding and the exterior is now almost completely restored.
Blackened facades
The facades were almost blackened by the tram and car traffic that passed in 142 years. The stone facade has been restored to the design of the original architect G.B. Salm with the original 1882 colour scheme. A new artwork will return on the tympanum.
(Rain)coat off
Much of the facades were locked in a thick layer of white paint. Similar to a cheap mackintosh in which the facade could not breathe. The salt and moisture that crept into the rock therefore had nowhere to go. To remove the paint, the facade was first steam cleaned and then treated with sandwash. The natural stone facade on the street side was cleaned with laser technology and damaged pieces were replaced.
Warmed with heat from Amsterdam's canals
ARTIS is making the national monument future-proof and making the building as sustainable as possible. Insulated monument glass has been installed in all windows and the woodwork has been repaired, sanded and is now being varnished. The zinc roof has been completely renewed, insulated and preserved with 118 solar panels. The ARTIS Aquarium will be natural gas-free thanks to the connection to a new thermal storage system, which will soon heat the national monument with water from the surrounding canals.
Recent news
Vicuña born at ARTIS Zoo
01 October 2025 • ARTIS Zoo
A vicuña was born at ARTIS earlier this week. Both the baby and the mother are doing well.
