Backed by the acknowledgement of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, this will be the most detailed ever miniature of the historical site.
In development since 2014, this 1:20 model will show Prinsengracht 263 (the 'Anne Frank House') in 1944 appearances, with unprecedented detail. Construction started in 2019, the 75th year since Anne Frank's arrest, and the year of her would-be 90th birthday, and completion is tentatively scheduled for summer 2025.
This photo of the warehouse floor in the miniature house provides an idea of the model's attention to detail. Everything from the bricks on the ground to the ceiling beams, from the slats on the walls to the angles and number of stairs, is recreated.
Fully lit by LEDs, this room begins to resemble the real thing. The diagram above shows where this is in relation to Prinsengracht canal.
This rear warehouse is the first room you step into when visiting the museum (the right-side window has been renovated into a doorway).
Things You Might Be Wondering...
How large will the model be?
The completed miniature will be at 1:20 scale, making it approximately 120 cm long and 70 cm tall. The supporting platform on to which the model is build will extend the dimensions at the base.
How much is it based on the real Anne Frank House?
One hundred per cent! The preparation stage for this project included extensive research: countless hours online, dialogue with the staff at the Anne Frank House, and multiple personal visits to the museum in Amsterdam. The goal is to create a near photo-realistic art piece.
Will the model be furnished?
Yes. At the request of Anne's father Otto Frank (the only one of the group of eight who survived the war), the museum in Amsterdam is completely empty, which is the state in which it was left after the Nazis' raid. However, this model will include full decor, speculating how the rooms may have appeared from July 1943 to August 1944.
How detailed will it be?
Extremely! Details that will be replicated include (but are not limited to) floorboards, wallpapers, ceiling beams, door and window designs, and Anne's 'wall of celebrities'. Everything has been measured, counted, and calculated. Even the lighting will be done strategically to create an appropriate ambience inside.
The Anne Frank House doesn't allow photography inside the museum. How did you get the details?
By spending an inordinate amount of time inside during each visit, staring at everything while everyone else took the audio tour, memorising as much as possible, and taking lots of notes.
What is the inspiration behind this project?
It comes from a combined fascination with the Second World War (particularly the Western fronts and, in particular, the Holocaust), with miniatures, and with architecture.
Isn't it a little crazy?
Yes! This project is a little bit extreme, and slightly unreasonable!