The National Dredging Museum in Sliedrecht tells the story of the Netherlands’ global dredging industry, rooted deeply in the local community. Beyond its physical collection, the museum holds a rich layer of intangible cultural heritage (ICH): personal stories, skills, and lived experiences passed down through generations. Today, this heritage is mostly kept alive by the museum’s team of volunteers. However, these people are aging and there is no succeeding generation to take over, raising concerns about the future of this ICH. As the importance of safeguarding ICH gains recognition, organisations like UNESCO have developed frameworks to protect it. However, these focus largely on documentation and education, offering little guidance on how architecture might support ICH.

This thesis investigates how architectural design can contribute to preserving and activating intangible heritage. Using a research-by-design approach, the National Dredging Museum is reimagined as a space that not only displays the history of dredging, but also sustains its living culture. Through spatial design, the museum becomes a vessel for ICH.