THE HAGUE.- The preliminary design for the 22 million euro project ‘Mauritshuis building for the future’ was unveiled on June 22, 2010. The ambitious design links Plein 26, the art deco building opposite the Mauritshuis in The Hague which is part of the Nieuwe of Littéraire Sociëteit de Witte, with the museum by means of an underground foyer, thus doubling the square footage and increasing its potential. The project is expected to be completed by mid 2014. Eminent Dutch architect Hans van Heeswijk’s preliminary design, in which light and clarity are prominent, does justice to the international status of the Mauritshuis. The facilities will be expanded to include a new exhibition hall, an auditorium for lectures and conferences, and an education space. A new entrance will be created at the front of the building so visitors will fully appreciate its elegant façade. The shop and the café will also be refurbished.