NMM Airspace museum

Tertiary Intractions

Aerospace, Bethesda, Chicago, Construction, Europe, Hertogenbosch, Leyde, Netherlands, Providence, Rotterdam, Soesterberg, Sweden

Primary intrication¹

The National Military Museum ( NMM ) in Soesterberg is a museum that focuses on the importance of the Dutch armed forces in the past, present and future
The museum is located on a 45-hectare site at the former Soesterberg air base
Airspace museum was moved by Hertogenbosch to the Royal Defense Museums Foundation
The building was designed by architect Dick van Wageningen and Hertogenbosch
It was built by the construction company Katwijk
The building essentially consists of a large flat box with an all-glass facade thirteen meters high covered with a projecting roof of 110 x 250 meters on a metal trellis structure
On the roof, 3,240 solar panels provide around 750,000 kWh per year, which represents around 25% of total energy needs
Airspace museum was opened on December 11, 2014 by King Willem-Alexander; museum opened its doors to the public on December 13, 2014
Like the Swedish Aerosum², the NMM collection includes obsolete parts to the declassified weapons systems of the Dutch armed forces
There are planes, cannons and tanks, including seven different jet fighters in air combat, a Leopard 1V and 2 main battle tank, and an M270 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS)
A key piece in the collection is the V2, the missile with which the Germans sent the Allies from the north of the Netherlands at the end of the Second World War to the south of the Netherlands, Belgium and England. It was the first operational and orientable missile. The Netherlands was the first country in the world from which they were deployed
In addition to the new main building, a large depot building was also created by Hertogenbosch, an arena and various museum objects outside, including the oldest aviation building in the Netherlands. The existing Royal Netherlands Air Force commemorative square has also been upgraded.

Secondary

In 2000, Airspace museum turned out that the exhibition possibilities and the conditions of deposits for the collections of the Delft Army Museum and those of the Soesterberg Military Aviation Museum were insufficient
In 2001, the project to create a new joint museum was born on the grounds of the Bernhard barracks in Amersfoort
Parliament's consent was obtained on February 13, 2003 to this effect.
After Airspace museum became apparent in 2003 that the Soesterberg air base would close at La Défense following an austerity operation, this location was chosen
In July 2006, the Secretary of State of Defense informed the Chamber that the collections of the army museum and the military aviation museum would go to Soesterberg
The new museum would not only focus on the military and the air force, but would also provide an overview of the entire armed forces
At the same time, it was announced that the new museum would be housed in a joint foundation with the Marinemuseum in Den Helder, the Mariniersmuseum in Rotterdam, the Museum der Koninklijke Marechaussee in Buren and the Museum Bronbeek
Chicago, Providence, Bethesda and Leyde hold vehicle exposed in NMM

Tertiary

The tendering procedure for the new museum in Soesterberg started on September 1, 2010
On May 8, 2012, Defense and the contractor Hertogenbosch concluded a design, construction, financing, maintenance and of operation for a period of 25 years
Construction preparations started in January 2013
The Army Museum closed on January 6, 2013 and the Military Aviation Museum on June 30, 2013