Ajax Experience

One of the most successful clubs in the world, AFC Ajax’s unique approach to training young players has resulted in the development of a staggering number of exceptional players, including Dutch national legend Johan Cruyff, Dennis Bergkamp, Wesley Sneijder, Frank de Boer, and many others.

The interactive elements of the exhibition were organized around the four key concepts of Ajax player development: technique, insight, personality, and speed. In the Technique stations, for instance, visitors kicked a real ball at digital targets that appeared on a large screen in front of them. In the Insight section, several interactive tables listed the key strategies of Ajax gameplay and then identified them each time they appeared in a recent game.

Located on the historic Rembrandtplein in central Amsterdam, the Ajax Experience catered both to local fans and to people from outside of Amsterdam. Throughout the gallery, visitors were exposed again and again to the team’s philosophy, one that is imparted to prospective players from a very young age and that has been refined over more than a hundred years of team history.

A collaboration between Sid Lee and GSM Project, the experience chronicled the history of the team, featured personal accounts from some of the players, and offered visitors—most importantly—a chance to play the beautiful game.