Bolidt flooring creates haven of peace in Kaap Skil Museum Texel

Kaap Skil, the Maritime and Beachcombers Museum in Oudeschild, on the coast of the Dutch island of Texel, was opened in 2012. The building, designed by Mecanoo Architects, was recently shortlisted for the 2012 World Architecture Festival Awards. Kaap Skil, which features a light-coloured Bolidt floor, has already won the 2012 Daylight Award as well as an Architzer A+ Award.

Kaap Skil comprises four pitched gables that mimic the surrounding roof tops, but from the sea look like waves rising up from behind the dyke. Following the local tradition of beachcombing and reusing found objects, the glass facades and roof are clad with evenly spaced slats made from recycled hardwood sheet piles. Inside, the filtered daylight creates a soft, subtle pattern of shadows, providing a peaceful environment for visitors to enjoy the collection.

The exhibition space in the basement, which houses an 18-metre-long model of the 17th century Roadstead of Texel, was fitted with a Bolidtop^® 525 flooring system.

Mecanoo Architects has found a reliable partner in Bolidt through earlier projects, such as the Amphion theatre in Doetinchem and the Fontys Sports College in Eindhoven. The latter was nominated for the World Architecture Awards. Based on this experience, Mecanoo advised to install Bolidt flooring in Kaap Skil. The museum readily accepted their advice and decided on a light colour that does not yellow when exposed to daylight, so that all the attention will be on the exhibits.

The Bolidtop^® 525 flooring range is ideally suited to a museum like Kaap Skil. In addition to this flooring range Bolidt has specially developed the Bolidtop^® Design range for the cultural sector.

This range consists of four different flooring systems with exceptional aesthetic properties. Installing the lightcoloured Bolidtop^® 525 system has, on the one hand, provided the museum with the desired attractive, high-quality effect. On the other, it offers the additional advantages of low maintenance, wear resistance and durability, allowing the museum to concentrate its efforts and resources on maintaining the collection itself.