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
ARTIS and the Rijksmuseum reveal the invisible life on The Night Watch
10 September 2026 • ARTIS-Micropia
What lives on The Night Watch? ARTIS and the Rijksmuseum are joining forces to reveal the invisible life found on The Night Watch. From 11 November, the installation The Night Watch Lives will be on display at ARTIS-Micropia. Centred around a life-size reproduction of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, the installation reveals which microorganisms live on the painting.
African penguins get a new home at ARTIS
07 August 2026 • ARTIS Zoo
After almost 70 years, the African penguins are getting a new home. The sea lion exhibit will be transformed into a varied penguin habitat with deep water, plenty of nesting sites and underwater windows where visitors can watch the birds ‘fly’ through the water.
ARTIS organises special children’s programme during WorldPride
21 July 2026 • ARTIS
From Saturday 25 July to Saturday 8 August, ARTIS will celebrate WorldPride Kids with a colourful programme for children and their families. Through play, they will discover that diversity can be found everywhere in nature.