Surprisingly ahead of its time
Roman Museum Heerlen
The Roman Museum is a new museum in Heerlen, expected to open in 2028. It is being built around the 2,000-year-old archaeological remains of the Roman bathhouse of Coriovallum. Together with Brandwacht en Meijer, Kiss The Frog, and HeinzLoopstra, Kossmanndejong will work on painting a new, surprising, and human picture of the dynamic Roman life between the Meuse and the Rhine.
- Location
- Heerlen (NL)
- Client
- Het Romeins Museum
- Year
- 2028
A world in transition
Heerlen, known as Coriovallum in Roman times, was a city at the intersection of two major Roman roads: the Via Belgica (from Boulogne-sur-Mer to Cologne) and the Via Traiana (from Aachen to Xanten). Shaped by a continuous flow of traders, soldiers, travelers, and locals, it grew into a society that bustled, collided, and was constantly in motion. There were stark contrasts between indigenous inhabitants and newcomers, as well as between the military and civil population. Here, at the borders of the Roman Empire, a new world emerged—one that had to reinvent itself time and again.
What was life like back then? The new museum reveals that the Romans, like us today, faced all kinds of challenges and had to find creative solutions to address them. In this way, dealing with change proves to be something deeply human.
We want to create an experience where visitors can see, feel, and understand the Roman world. Visitors will meet characters from that era and discover that they led lives that are still surprisingly relatable.