The Dutch Museum Project

The Dutch Museum project has been on the boards for sometime but encouraging news has finally been received.

The Horowhenua District Council has purchased the old Mitre 10 building in Foxton and is now the new owner of this spacious building on the river banks in Foxton. Een stuk van dit gebouw wordt ‘Onze Plek’ – the new home for the Dutch Connection – ons museum en cultureel centrum.

Nu moeten er spijkers met koppen geslagen worden!

The Council has hired Nicki Moen, an experienced community planning consultant, to prepare a brief for an architect and the Dutch Connection has met with Nicki to help her understand the Museum's needs within the building. She will also interview all the other stakeholders in the Te Awahou - Nieuwe Stroom Project to determine requirements, present options, provide solutions and facilitate decision making. Once this process is finished, architectural drawings will be produced.

Dutch Connection board member Lily Frederikse is an exhibition developer at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, an expert in exhibition planning and design and will work with Nicki to make sure the Museum gets everything right, from the start. 

Tapping into resources within the Dutch Community in New Zealand to bring our dreams to fruition, we have also encouraged Peter Fillet, Head of Security of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, as an advisor on building design matters.

Arjan van der Boon recently gave the following update at the annual general meeting of the Federation of New Zealand Netherlands Societies, http://www.dutchconnection.org.nz/media/9760/dc%20-%20ancm%20presentation%20-%20oct%202013.pdf