Two Linden Comansa cranes for Rembrandt

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Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, one of the world’s most important Art and History museums, is currently under a complete renovation of its facilities. The "New" Rijksmuseum, home of the best Rembrandt collection and masterpieces from Rubens, Brueghel the Elder and many others, will see the light in 2013, after almost 9 years of work.

For the transformation, designed by Spanish architects Cruz and Ortiz, the Museum counts with the help of two Linden Comansa cranes, which are working since last July in the restoration of the main building. Both Flat-Top cranes are model 21 LC 400, have a maximum load of 18 tonnes and have been rented by the jobsite contractors from Kranenbouw BV, one of the most important rental companies in The Netherlands.

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The cranes have been erected with a jib length of 74 meters, to work during a year and a half in the last, longest and more complicated stage of the project. The East crane (on the right of the picture) works at its maximum freestanding height, 64.9 meters, while the West crane has been erected with a height under hook of 59.4 meters.

The renovation of the Rijksmuseum is due to all the prior extensions made to the original construction, built in 1885. The museum had turned into a labyrinth of dark corridors, which made it very hard to visit for the thousands of tourists that each year enjoy the best collection of paintings from the Netherlands’ Golden Age.

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Among the main successes of the New Rijksmuseum building, is the creation of a great entrance hall, which didn’t exist before. It is being built under the street level to link the two wings of the museum, which until now were separated by a public corridor that is used every day by thousands of cyclists.