Rotterdam’s Boijmans Van Beuningen museum is set to close for seven years to undergo a major renovation project.

The city’s executive board has already approved the €223m budget for the overhaul, which must now be backed by a full meeting of the council.

The current museum predates World War II and is in need of a total overhaul to meet today’s technical and functional demands, city officials say.

While the work is being carried out, other museums will exhibit part of the collection, and some works will go on a ‘world tour’. The museum collection, which dates back 169 years, includes works by Rembrandt, Van Eyck, Monet, Dali and Van Gogh.

Amsterdam’s main museums earlier underwent similar moderisation projects.

Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum was closed for 10 years while it underwent a major renovation project between 2003 and 2013. The Stedelijk museum was also closed for renovations and expansion between 2003 and 2012, while the city’s maritime museum overhaul took four years.

All three projects took longer than expected and over-ran their budgets.