Gelukkig Door Verdiensten

“Gelukkig Door Verdiensten chronicles, in words and images, the rise, decline, and rebirth of one of Amsterdam’s most remarkable historic landmarks and cultural centres.”

The interview and photography book Felix Meritis – Happy Through Merit traces the long journey towards the revival of this historic complex, originally built as the “Temple of the Enlightenment.” It is thanks to entrepreneur Alex Mulder that this landmark was saved, reopened to the public, and given a renewed cultural and scientific purpose. Such a transformation does not happen overnight. The history of Felix Meritis is long, eventful, and complex, and its restoration became an extraordinary journey through time. The five years between our first visit to the building with the client and its opening during the pandemic were both intensive and challenging. This book brings together the voices of everyone involved: the mayor, directors, programme makers, artists, architects, project managers, and builders. The photographs taken throughout the construction process are a tribute to all those who contributed to this ambitious restoration project.

Ton van Brussel (journalist, former broadcasting executive, and former director of Amsterdam’s debate centre De Rode Hoed) interviewed a wide range of witnesses to the building’s turbulent history over the past fifty years, as well as the key figures involved in its recently completed restoration and modernisation. Photographer Bart Grietens (winner of the 2019 Theatre Photography Award) documented the construction and restoration process over a period of three years, capturing its progress day by day. 

Publisher: Amerborgh / Uitgeverij Balans ISBN 978 94 638 2092 9 I NUR 740