Museum lighting

After a closure of almost five years, the doors of the Bruges Gruuthuse Palace have been reopened for the general public. In a new museum concept, the 600 collection items shine in different halls. The visitor travels under the motto ‘Plus est en vous’ by Lodewijk van Gruuthuse, diplomat and founder of the city palace, through three crucial periods of the rich Bruges history. After a closure of almost five years, the doors of the Bruges Gruuthuse Palace have been reopened for the general public. In a new museum concept, the 600 collection items shine in different halls. The visitor travels under the motto ‘Plus est en vous’ by Lodewijk van Gruuthuse, diplomat and founder of the city palace, through three crucial periods of the rich Bruges history. 
Not only the collection tells the visitor about the history, also the architecture of the palace is very impressive. The combination of highly decorated and sober halls, large and small rooms and the many (spiral) staircases make the museum trail an exciting exploration. As a visitor you walk in the footsteps of the many previous residents and users of the historic building, which stimulates you imagination and gives you direct access to the past.

Bruns has realized, in cooperation with noAarchitecten and Modac, the exhibition furniture for the renewed Gruuthusemuseum, the welcome pavilion and the educative rooms. There is created a total experience of all the museum spaces. All the rooms tells the story, as it were. The hanging and display of collection items happens in that context too. It are rooms where people like to stay and want to look around. 

Photography: Mathias Desmet, Sarah Bouwens, Dominique Provost and Inge Kinnet

War, occupation, liberation is the biggest national overview exhibition about the WWll. With more than 1000 collection items, the new exhibition presents an overview of the most loaded period between 1919 and 1945 in Belgian history. The new exhibition tells the story of the occupation and liberation of the country in 1940-1944. The end of the war in Europe and Asia in 1944-1945 is also brought to the attention. Finally national socialist repression, persecution and genocidary politics in 1933-1945 are considered. Special about this exhibition is that it traces far beyond the lines of traditional military history. In addition, much attention is paid to social, political, economic and human consequences of the war. In short, the exhibition is a nuanced, historical- scientific story in which the options, possibilities and ‘choices’ form the red thread the course of the warfare.

Bruns was entirely responsible for the development, engineering and realization of the exhibition. This means that the space has been completely transformed from hull into museum. 

Belgium has undergone profound changes, such as the rest of the world during the first World War. Society is struggling with disruption and at the same time reviving. The War Heritage Insitute shows, with the temporary exhibition ‘De Groote oorlog voorbij: 1918-1928’, the big themes such as: the final offensive, the liberation, the period shortly after the war, the geopolitical revolutions, the economic reconstruction, the mourning process and the memories, the socio-political and the socio-cultural changes.

The exhibition includes exceptional pieces from the extensive WHI-collection, from national and international museums. The testimonials and decors from ‘Les Années folles’ and the interactive tools brings an atmospheric surprise and emotional feeling in the exhibition.

Bruns produced custom made plinths, showcases and graphic elements in a short period. The various exceptional collection pieces in the showcases required an appropriate approach for the installation.

Photography: Jarusalem Pierard