House of European History

The museum and collection

The award winning House of European History aims to inform its visitors about the history of Europe, whilst also stimulating dialogue about Europe and the unification process. The museum is housed in the Eastman-Kodak building that was built as a clinic after WWII. The exhibition space was extended with a glass cube on top of the renovated building.

The assignment

Our scope of work included not only the development, production and installation of display cases but also of museum furniture, plinths and mounting supports, mechanical interactives, movies and graphics. Furthermore, we were also in charge of selecting and installing gallery lighting and AV hardware, editing historical footage and music compilations, producing multimedia content, implementing and integrating iBeacon localization technology for tablets and designing a Content Management System for museum staff. Beyond these core duties, Meyvaert was also responsible for the design, development and installation of a 25m tall sculpture, which can truly be regarded as the central eye-catcher in the atrium of the new Eastman-Kodak building.

The project: challenges & results

This has been our biggest fitout project until today, in terms of scale, budget and timing. Project management & timely delivery were key. Over a period of 29 months, we worked with over 10 suppliers & subcontractors in order to deliver optimal visitors’ experience, taking them on an interactive journey through the history of Europe.

In 2018 we were also awarded the 5-year maintenance contract. In 2019, in a competition between 40 museums, the House of European History received a special commendation during the European Museum of the Year Awards. According to the jury, the House "is the first museum to present a pan-European story based on academic research and an impressive collection of objects. It is a new centre for a critical analysis of European history and a forum for exploring current political and social issues."