Ten years and $489M on, Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum reopens

By Bryony Jones, CNN

Updated 1430 GMT (2230 HKT) April 13, 2013

Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, home to one of the world's greatest art collections, reopens to the public on Saturday April 13, after a mammoth 10-year US$489m renovation project. The exhibits have been reorganized into chronological order, with paintings, furniture and other objects displayed side-by-side to tell the history of the Netherlands.
Photos: Rijksmuseum reopens after 10 years
Rijksmuseum reopens after 10 years – Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, home to one of the world's greatest art collections, reopens to the public on Saturday April 13, after a mammoth 10-year US$489m renovation project. The exhibits have been reorganized into chronological order, with paintings, furniture and other objects displayed side-by-side to tell the history of the Netherlands.
Hide Caption
1 of 16
The museum's original entrance hall, designed by architect Pierre Cuypers in 1885, and decorated with opulent wall paintings by Georg Sturm, has been returned to its former glory.
Photos: Rijksmuseum reopens after 10 years
Rijksmuseum reopens after 10 years – The museum's original entrance hall, designed by architect Pierre Cuypers in 1885, and decorated with opulent wall paintings by Georg Sturm, has been returned to its former glory.
Hide Caption
2 of 16
The jewel-like stained glass windows in the entrance hall celebrate great architects, sculptors and painters, including Rembrandt van Rijn, and add to the cathedral-like atmosphere.
Photos: Rijksmuseum reopens after 10 years
Rijksmuseum reopens after 10 years – The jewel-like stained glass windows in the entrance hall celebrate great architects, sculptors and painters, including Rembrandt van Rijn, and add to the cathedral-like atmosphere.
Hide Caption
3 of 16
Contrasting ancient and modern, Spanish architects Cruz y Ortiz reinstated the building's original courtyards, which had been crammed with makeshift galleries for decades, linking them into one huge, bright and airy atrium.
Photos: Rijksmuseum reopens after 10 years
Rijksmuseum reopens after 10 years – Contrasting ancient and modern, Spanish architects Cruz y Ortiz reinstated the building's original courtyards, which had been crammed with makeshift galleries for decades, linking them into one huge, bright and airy atrium.
Hide Caption