Cruquius museum

An immersive look at Haarlemmermeer’s history and the world’s largest steam engine.

Cruquius Museum, Cruquius (NL), 2020

Entrance to the Cruquius Museum featuring exposed brick walls and illuminated signage, with a blurred figure walking through the doorway.

Overview

The Cruquius Museum showcases the Netherlands’ remarkable achievement in draining its largest lake, the Haarlemmermeer, from inside one of the original steam-powered pumping stations that made it possible. A large-scale projection, interactive elements and hands-on activities invite visitors to explore the power of steam technology and the massive machinery behind it.

  • Woman ascending a staircase inside the museum, with typographic quotes from 17th-century poetry and documents displayed on the surrounding walls.
  • Two visitors standing in front of a large projected historical illustration of the Cruquius pumping station, part of the museum’s narrative on land reclamation.
  • Close-up of a hand interacting with a digital map showing historical topography, part of an interactive display explaining the geography of Haarlemmermeer.
  • Museum visitor exploring a display case containing navigation instruments, maps, and archaeological artifacts, with a touch screen integrated into the surface.

Contribution

I led the design of the exhibition’s visual identity, multimedia content, and AV installations, transforming the space into a hands-on workshop where visitors are encouraged to explore the engine through physical models and interactive stations that explain how the machinery works. The result is an experience that blends storytelling, experimentation, and play, making complex engineering concepts easy to grasp for audiences of all ages.

  • Panoramic view of the gallery featuring an immersive wall projection of historical maps and a portrait of King Willem I, with visitors engaging with the exhibits.
  • Woman interacting with a digital touchscreen in front of a large decorative map, using the interface to explore historical information.
  • Two visitors interacting with a long display table featuring historical navigation tools, ceramic artifacts, and a digital map interface, in a gallery combining exposed brick and museum lighting.
  • Woman examining a large wall-mounted visual timeline that traces the development of steam technology from 1643 onward, featuring historical texts and illustrations.
  • Child peering into a reconstructed boiler installation, while two other children in the foreground use audio handsets to explore the exhibit in the “Boiler Room” section.
  • Young boy using a touchscreen embedded in a wall panel to learn about the properties and transformations of steam.
  • Child interacting with a horizontal touchscreen table, placed in front of a large infographic panel showing engineering data and historical timelines of the pumping station.
  • Children interacting with tall, black cylindrical structures that present historical information about steam power, surrounded by other exhibits and timeline graphics.

Key achievements

  • Translated technical heritage into an engaging story
  • Designed multi-layered content adaptable to people
  • Enabled curiosity-driven, self-paced exploration
  • Brought new life and future relevance to a historical site
  • Three children closely examining a hands-on model of a steam engine, focusing on its moving mechanical parts.
  • A young woman observing a detailed infographic display with historical data, diagrams, and scale models related to the Cruquius pumping station and its steam engines.
  • Visitor standing near the massive Cruquius engine installation, surrounded by large iron components and a spiral staircase inside the museum.
  • Children seated at a long interactive counter, experimenting with steam engine models, assisted by a woman under a “Stoomlab” sign in the background.

Recognition

Featured on Behance’s Graphic Design gallery:
Exhibition & Signage category

Credits

Role: Art Director | Lead Designer
Employer: Studio Louter
Client: Cruquius Museum
Photography: Mike Bink

© All rights reserved to Studio Louter

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Get in touch! Group of children gathered around a display case labeled “De Duitse stempelsnijder” (“The German Punchcutter”), observing and discussing its contents, with an adult guiding them.

Awarded + Featured

Joh. Enschedé

Noord-Hollands Archief, Haarlem (NL)