In 2006, The Hague celebrated the 125th anniversary of Panorama Mesdag, the world’s largest panoramic circular painting. The panorama was painted by Hendrik Willem Mesdag 125 years ago and shows The Hague, the nearby seaside resort of Scheveningen and the North Sea in amazing detail. Mesdag, who was chair of the Hague School of painters at the time, left The Hague a unique work of art that forms part of the city’s cultural heritage.
Apart from the panoramic painting that lends Panorama Mesdag its name, the museum also has a permanent exhibition of Mesdag's work and alternating exhibitions of fine art related to Mesdag, panoramic images or The Hague and local artists. This tradition has continued since Hendrik Willem Mesdag and his wife Sientje organised exhibitions in the same building in the 19th Century.
Valuation days
First Thursday of each month between 11.00 and 16.00 you can have your items valued by Amsterdam Auctioneers Glerum.
Step into the largest painting of the Netherlands with the museumkaart
As of 1 July 2010 museumkaart holders can visit Panorama Mesdag free of charge. A good neighbour is important but often you see far too little of one another. Enjoy the luxury of a “private beach” and pop by more often. Discover how the Panorama changes depending on the time of day. You are always welcome at Panorama Mesdag!
Scheveningen 1955-1965: Photos Jacques Meijer
28 March - 20 September 2009
This exhibition offers the visitors a nostalgic look back in time at Scheveningen during a decade seventy years after the painter H.W. Mesdag and his team painted the same resort on canvas, resulting in the famous Panorama Mesdag. More ...
First phase of renovation work starts at Panorama Mesdag
6 January 2010 – Renovation work started on Monday 4 January at the Panorama Mesdag museum. The publicity campaign Laat het doek niet vallen! Red Panorama Mesdag! (Don’t let the curtain fall. Save Panorama Mesdag!) has brought in three million euros; enough to get the first phase of the renovation plan underway.
A couple of years ago, the property adjacent to the museum was purchased and this will be converted to house the museum's office the during the first phase of work. In later phases a spearate entrance and exit for visitors, a restaurant and a glass wall with a view of the rotunda in which the huge canvas hangs will be added.
More details ...
How to make a contribution ...
 €10,000 to save
Panorama Mesdag
On 29 September, Deputy Mayor Marieke Bolle (Culture and Finance) handed over a cheque for €10,000 to Panorama Mesdag on behalf of The Hague Municipal Executive. It marked the start of the public campaign “Save Panorama Mesdag” on the Plein in The Hague. More ...
Source & photo: www.denhaag.com
Adopt a piece of Panorama Mesdag
As of September 2009, it will be possible for people to adopt a piece of the famous painting-in-the round, the Panorama Mesdag in The Hague. The ‘adoptions’ will cost upwards of five euro and sponsors will receive a certificate with a picture of their part of the Panorama.
This is part of a fund-raising scheme to bring in 600,000 for rebuilding. The museum wishes to expand its current facilities to include a venue for educational purposes, a new exhibition hall and a restaurant. The entire project will cost five million euro.
Source: www.thehagueonline.com
Benefit weekend went well
Panorama Mesdag, the oldest painted panorama in the world, has had a good start to its campaign to raise money for expansion and rebuilding to move with the times. An exclusive charity brunch on Sunday brought in an initial €7,000. However, a total of seven million euros is needed to fund the planned new exhibition hall, restaurant and museum shop. The descendants of the founders of this private museum, which opened in 1881, are hoping to acquire this sum through private donations and sponsorship.
Souce:TheHagueOnline
Benefit to save Panorama Mesdag
The descendants of the nieces and nephews of H.W. Mesdag and Sientje van Houten will be holding a benefit weekend in Panorama Mesdag on 2 and 3 May. The goal of this initiative is to collect money for the upkeep and the necessary modernization of the Panorama venue. There will be children’s workshops, and 1881 style guided tours. Visitors can purchase Mother Day gifts and traditional Dutch products as well as artworks specially made for the benefit weekend.
On the Saturday, famous Dutch cabaret artiste Paul van Vliet will christen a special variety of lily specially cultivated to commemorate the Panorama Mesdag.
And on Sunday there is a brunch in the dunes, bang in the middle of the painting with a view of Scheveningen anno 1881. Contact www.mesdag.isgreat.org to make reservations.
Viewable online
2 March 2009 – From next year the Panorama Mesdag painting in The Hague can be viewed on the Internet. A total of 10,000 digital detail images will be made of the 120 x 14 metre canvas.
Mayor & Aldermen: Panorama Mesdag belongs on World Heritage List
25 February 2009 – The Hague Municipal Council wants the Panorama Mesdag added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Panorama Mesdag, in Zeestraat, is a unique monument of its sort. Now that most panoramas have disappeared, the Mesdag Panorama is the oldest panorama in the world to have survived in its original location. By painting this rare masterpiece depicting the dunes and fishing village of Scheveningen in 1881, Hendrik Willem Mesdag created not only the largest painting in the Netherlands (the canvas is almost 120 metres long and over 14 metres high) but also an amazing and memorable experience: a circular painting that completely surrounds the visitor, bringing in an average of 150,000 visitors a year. Hence its value to international cultural tourism and The Hague’s economy.
unesco.org
Cultural monument Panorama Mesdag endangered
Expert’s findings are obvious:
excavation for parking garage is designed wrongly,
provisions necessary in roof of Panorama Mesdag rotunda
The unique ‘Panorama Mesdag’ rotunda in The Hague, a national state monument originating from 1881 has been damaged by preparations for an excavation right next door. The Panorama rotunda, housing the classified 1680 square meter painting of the fishing village Scheveningen by H.W. Mesdag has sustained damage to its foundation and the steel construction of its roof. The panorama will stay open to the public, some 150.000 visitors each year, but a temporary reinforcement must be installed. For more click on Actual News on Museum's website...
The secret of the Panorama Mesdag unveiled
Friday 2 November is the Dag van de Haagse Geschiedenis (The Hague History Day). Between 12.00 and 13.00 in the Grote Kerk members of the public can choose their own programme for visits to any of the museums and sights within a one kilometer radius of the church where a number of repeat guided tours will be taking place between 13.00 and 16.00.
Panorama Mesdag will have three guided tours that afternoon. The necessary vouchers entitling visitors to a reduced entry fee and free tour of the panorama can be collected from the Grote Kerk (Rond de Grote Kerk 12, at the city end of Torenstraat). Part of the tour is a peek behind the circular canvas revealing the secret of the magical panorama. The times of the tours are 13.00, 14.00 and 15.00 with a maximum of 20 visitors each time. Those who are interested should get to the church in plenty of time; the vouchers are only available there, not at the Panorama Mesdag itself.
An unexpected view of Panorama Mesdag
 25 August – The demolition of the Caesar Sports Club on Mauritskade provides a rare (but temporary) view of the circular building housing the Panorama Mesdag canvas. Devotees of the vulnerable Panorama wait with bated breath as the construction work on the new Hilton hotel and sports centre proceeds.
Panorama Mesdag wants clarity and an investigation into the subsidence:
legal steps against municipal council and developer
The Hague 30 November 2007 – The management of Panorama Mesdag is extremely concerned about the consequences of the construction of the underground car park on Mauritskade directly adjacent to the historical panorama rotunda of the listed building. Preparatory work for the excavation of the two-storey subterranean garage has already caused the rotunda to shift. Requests to developer Lirema bv to confirm that any further work will be carried out safely without further risk to the listed building have gone unanswered. The council who granted planning permission is reluctant to intervene. The most risky stage of the operations has yet to begin and this is why Panorama Mesdag has started legal proceedings. It has requested that building work be stopped until an independent survey has been carried out and that there should be more clarity concerning the planning requirements.
Plans to convert the former PTT premises at the corner of Mauritskade/Zeestraat, which had stood empty for years, into a hotel came into being at the end of 2005. However the existing basement area was apparently not large enough to meet official requirements. The problem was solved by demolishing the old swimming pool on Mauritskade, replacing it with a new fitness centre with an underground car park to be shared with the hotel. For the purposes of this double function the developer decided to construct a two-storey basement to within two metres of the Panorama Mesdag rotunda. The council granted permission.
Now during the early stages of construction there has already been more subsidence than was expected. Indeed the council made allowances for some subsidence but in doing so ignored its own policy regarding the construction of underground parking facilities in the vicinity of listed buildings. Namely that such construction must be limited to a specified distance or that no shifting whatsover be caused to existing premises.
Because of the early signs of subsidence and shifting Panorama Mesdag has decided today in the interests of preserving this unique monument to request that all building work be stopped until an independent survey has been cariied out. The council has been asked to implement its policy in a more fitting manner and to become more actively involved in ensuring that the panorama is preserved for future generations.
More information: Marijnke de Jong, Director: 070 310 6665 or
mdejong@panorama-mesdag.com
Judicial pronouncement
The court will give its judgement on 21 December.
Judge's decision
The court decision went in favour of the Panorama Mesdag. If the subsidence of the rotunda is greater than the accepted norms the council will halt construction of the underground parking facilities.
In the meantime Director de Jong is preparing for other possible action.
First measures on Panorama Mesdag and the excavation site; then continue with construction
To prevent damage to Panorama Mesdag measures on Panorama Mesdag and the excavation site must be put in place before any more work is carried out on the construction parking garage.
This is the recommendation from Professor Vambersky who was commissioned to make a second appraisal of the situation for The Hague Municipal Council.
Alderman Peter Smit (inner city): “I am glad that Panorama Mesdag has not suffered any damage up till now and the timely implementation of whatever measures are necessary will prevent any future damage. I count on the prudent administration of Panorama Mesdag and a professional approach from the developer. The preservation of Panorama Mesdag is the priority of everyone.”
Measures
The most important step according to Professor Vambersky is the reinforcement of the foundations of Panorama Mesdag.
Further, he suggests two possible sets of measures to enable the the continuation of the construction work. They are as follows:
A. Reinforcement of the ground under the foundations of Panorama Mesdag and making the pile wall of the garage adjacent to the rotunda watertight by injecting the exterior of the whole of the pile wall.
B. Make the cellar of the parking garage around 6 metres shorter adjacent to the rotunda and make the sheetpile wall next to the foundation of Panorama Mesdag watertight.
Professor Vambersky came to these recommendations after a thorough study of the building permit, the Panorama Mesdag building itself and the excavation site.
He concluded that:
The Hague Municipal Council had set very stringent demands in the building permit for the construction of the parking garage in order to prevent damage to the Panorama Mesdag adjacent; Incompetent implementation of the pile wall of the garage on the side next to Panorama Mesdag had caused the unexpected extensive settling and shifting of the rotunda.
The improvements made to the roof by Panorama Mesdag are not sufficient to eliminate the danger of instability in the structure.
Even before the construction work on the garage began the roof of Panorama Mesdag did not meet safety regualations regarding stability.
The council expects the involved parties to shortly come with a proposal that will answer the recommendations in the second appraisal and will meet the current requirenets of the building permit.
Press Release Municipal Council of The Hague
5 February 2008
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