"Museum De Lakenhal is Leiden’s municipal museum for art, applied art and history and since its inception in 1874 it has been housed in the ‘Laecken-Halle’, a stately mansion designed in 1641 by the city architect, Arent van ’s-Gravesande. The museum consists of an ensemble of buildings from different periods, each with its own character. The basic premise of the restoration is the harmonious integration of these disparate historical layers in accordance with the principle of ‘unity in diversity’, culminating in a spatially enhanced orientation and museum experience."

HappelCornelisseVerhoeven