INFO
Marco de Nood
Album in the form of a briefcase with photos of the refurbishment of the Heineken Experience
2000-2001
41 x 46 x 6 cm
Nostalgia for the future
'I would just like to keep some part of the brewery here,' was Freddy Heineken's somewhat wistful response at the 1975 board meeting when the proposal was made to relocate all of the Amsterdam brewery components to the new complex in Zoeterwoude.
It would still be several years before the pungent brewing smell would dissipate from the capital for good. Initially, the decision was made to transfer the Amstel brewery on Mauritskade.
However, when it finally happened in 1988, Freddy Heineken got his way partly due to the tourist attraction of the historic brewery complex on Stadhouderskade. After demolition, three structures remained standing: the former fermentation cellar building, the malt silo building, and the brewhouse. A visitor centre was created behind those facades, designed by Cees Veth of the Rotterdam architecture firm Van den Broek and Bakema. You could take a guided tour of the brewery, complete with an audiovisual (slide) show in the huge copper boilers.
Not a stuffy museum
The official opening of the Heineken Visitor Centre finally took place on 22 May 1991. According to Chairman of the Board Van Schaik, it was not meant to be 'a stuffy museum' but rather 'a surprising encounter with the world of Heineken.' It amazed visitors with an exhibition on the history of beer and Heineken in the former fermentation tanks featuring 'the latest computer, lighting, and video technology.' The tour was followed by a small beer tasting session.
Formula for success
It was an instant success. However, to ensure ongoing interest, the centre needed to be updated from time to time. Indeed, it reopened ten years later, in May 2001, completely revamped as the Heineken Experience – 'a superb combination of nostalgia and today's technology.' For this very first brand experience centre in the Netherlands, designer Bert Kranendonk from the DST agency looked to American examples, including that of Coca Cola. The investment paid off, as the Experience welcomed its 100,000th visitor less than six months later and won the Dutch ToerNed Attraction Award in 2002.
Nostalgia
In 2008 another substantial renovation took place of 'the Heineken theme park that evokes the past and embraces the present,' which received the Best of Amsterdam Award for best tourist attraction in 2010. This time, the design was provided by the American BRC agency, known for its work for Disney. After the third major renovation of the entrance area and rooftop terrace, the Experience was ready for the future in 2022. Advancing digital capabilities keep pace with the expectations of ever new young audiences, but nostalgia also remains a part of the formula for success. This is evident in the book It could only be Heineken, a fascinating Heineken history told through 100 objects and stories.