The Heritage Department of the Municipality of Utrecht used to be spread across several locations. Since the relocation, all 38 colleagues now work together in one place—and not just any location: a beautiful building on the Plompetorengracht. For the interior design of their new premises, they enlisted the help of Ahrend Netherlands, who, in turn, called upon SDB Vitrinebouw for our expertise in display cases.

A display wall in the entrance hall, a showcase cabinet in the lunch and meeting room, and a fully transparent partition wall in the workspace of the archaeological research team—these were the assignments we received from Utrecht Heritage via Ahrend. Archaeologist Herre Wynia and 3D visualizer Daan Claessen explain.

Daan’s 3D Work

"The municipality had a project team for the relocation," Herre begins. "Although we weren’t directly part of it, we were, of course, involved in the interior design. Daan, for instance, created the design for the display cases. His experience in 3D recreations of Utrecht’s heritage proved invaluable. He immediately accounted for factors like the slanted wall in the hallway and structural offsets, ensuring the display fits perfectly in the space."

“The same applies to the showcase cabinet in the lunchroom,” Daan continues. “It fits seamlessly up to the ceiling, even with an existing beam running through it. It’s true custom work. The unique feature of the transparent wall in the workspace is the small LED spots. These allow us to precisely illuminate the archaeological finds. It’s ideal because the cabinet is entirely open, enabling the objects to be lit from all sides without any glare.”

A Well-Oiled Machine

"Before the display cases went into production, SDB came for one final measurement," Daan says about the next phase. "That proved to be a smart move because they discovered we needed to account for a radiator in the lunchroom. Without this discovery, the cabinet would have had to be placed about 20 centimeters forward. Thanks to the on-site check, we could tackle the final details."

“All the objects are displayed beautifully: elevated and with stunning lighting”

Herre adds, "The construction of the display cases was impressive. They arrived with trucks full of materials, and in no time, the cases were installed—quickly and perfectly. It was clear everyone knew exactly what to do. A truly well-oiled machine."

13,000 Years of Utrecht’s History

“People who come here for meetings are always late,” Daan says with a laugh. “They get caught up at the display case in the entrance. It showcases 13,000 years of Utrecht’s history. The display is organized horizontally as a timeline, from prehistory to modern times. Vertically, viewers can see objects from different categories per period, such as daily life, defense, religion, and construction. The top shelf holds the highlights: Utrecht’s icons.”

“From a beautiful bowl from the Roman era and a part of a medieval ship to the city’s oldest shard and a prehistoric idol—an intricately carved piece of wood resembling a human face,” Herre continues. “The result is incredible, especially with Daan’s contributions to the back wall and labels. His designs make the display even more captivating. In the lunchroom cabinet, we plan to showcase top finds by material category, such as wood, leather, and stone. We’re also adding small dioramas.”

‘What a Thrill It Is’

“We can now tell Utrecht’s story even more beautifully,” Herre concludes. “Every object is displayed perfectly: elevated and with beautiful lighting. Additionally, the display design is refined, and the layout is flexible, giving us room to experiment. We’re incredibly proud of the result. Every time we turn on the lighting, we think, ‘What a thrill it is to showcase this.’ The best part is that we sense the same pride from SDB. Collaborating with them was an absolute pleasure!”