New Royal Delft Experience Grand Opening Today by Princess Margriet
DELFT, the Netherlands, May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
- Dynamic new presentation of the original Delft Blue
HRH Princess Margriet of the Netherlands has officially opened the Royal Delft Experience this afternoon. The Royal Delft Experience is a new multimedia journey through the time of the Delft Blue pottery. Royal Delft now gives visitors a more attractive and complete picture of the history and the production process of this centuries old craft.
Princess Margriet unveiled a four-foot high tulip vase with orange tulips. The tulip vase is the most prestigious Delft Blue pottery of Royal Delft and symbolises the long-standing relationship with the monarchy. During the Experience tour, Princess Margriet signed a Delft Blue tile plate especially designed for the occasion. This tile will soon be seen in the Royal Treasury, which is part of the Royal Delft Experience.
Henk Schouten, CEO Royal Delft: "Royal Delft is the only remaining 17th century pottery factory in Delft. We find it important to preserve the craft of handmade Delftware. We opened our workshop and collection to the public 15 years ago. Since that time, we receive over 120,000 visitors annually from all over the world. Inspired by the great interest, we decided last year to undertake a substantial renovation. The presentation is now more dynamic and the order of the route has been modified. The new Royal Delft Experience makes a visit more attractive and accessible to a wider audience. We focus on both international visitors and visitors of all ages from the Netherlands. The Experience has been operational since April 1st, and the early results have exceeded expectation".
The Royal Delft Experience was designed by Léon Wennekes from Wennekes' Office for Imagination in Amersfoort. Wennekes: "In 2010, we received the commission to make a visit to Royal Delft more attractive. A careful analysis showed that visitors would get a more intense perspective by telling the unique story of Royal Delft Blue in a different order and in a different way. The admiration and respect for the genuine craftsmanship of Delft Blue really comes into its own in the new Experience". Wennekes previously worked with public attractions such as PandaDroom in the Efteling, the Escher Museum in The Hague and Corpus 'the journey through man'.
Opening hours and visitor address
The Royal Delft Experience at Rotterdamseweg 196 in Delft is open Monday through Sunday from 9:00am to 5:00pm. An entrance ticket costs €12. Children under 12 can visit The Royal Delft Experience free of charge if accompanied by an adult.
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Photographs and video material.
In support of the above press release, the images below are free to download without acknowledgement of source or attribution of rights:
- Set of high resolution photographs can be downloaded from http://www.viazemsky.nl/klanten/royaldelft
- Video material (MP4) can be downloaded from 6:00pm at http://www.viazemsky.nl/klanten/royaldelft
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About The Royal Delft Experience
The Royal Delft Experience first takes visitors back in time to show that the original Delft Blue is still very much alive. The route begins in the 17th century with a multimedia presentation of the history and unique production process of Delft Blue. Based on well-known Delft icons, such as William of Orange and Johannes Vermeer, the route winds through differently themed rooms including Vermeer's authentic dining room and the Royal Treasury. A collection of Delft Blue specially designed for the Dutch royal family can be seen in the Royal Treasury. Also included in the Royal Delft Experience are of course the historic garden courtyard, a unique collection of building ceramics, a demonstration by the master painters and a visit to the workshop.
About Royal Delft
Pottery has been produced and hand painted since 1653 at the N.V. Koninklijke Delftsch Aardewerkfabriek "De Porceleyne Fles Anno 1653" (Royal Delft). The production consists of an authentic Delft Blue collection and of bespoke pieces. In 2011, Royal Delft introduced the innovative Blue D1653 label. With the Blue D1653 collection, Royal Delft connects the centuries old craft of master painters with the powerful designs of modern Dutch designers. This collection is expected to be available in the second half of this year at various stores nationally and internationally. The new Royal Delft Experience takes visitors on a journey through the time of the centuries old pottery. In addition to The Royal Delft Experience, there is also a brasserie and a showroom, workshops are organised and the location may be used for meetings or weddings.
History
Background information about the history of the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles anno 1653 / Royal Delft can be downloaded at: http://www.royaldelft.com/webdocs/geschiedenis/geschiedenis.pdf
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RoyalDelft
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Website: http://www.royaldelft.nl
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