Amsterdam’s famous Rijksmuseum, home to iconic works by the likes of Rembrandt and Vermeer, will reopen in April after a 10-year renovation.

Officials on Friday announced the reopening date, after a $467-million project to upgrade the main building and restore some parts.

Originally scheduled to reopen in 2008, the renovation has been continually delayed by several problems, including the discovery of asbestos.

Many items from the museum’s collection were on loan to other institutions in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium during the renovation, save for key works.

Wim Pijbes, the Rijksmuseum's general director, told The Art Newspaper that “everything that could have gone wrong” during the renovation did.

Since 2003, visitors have only been able to visit the south wing of the complex to view a select number of works.

While the restoration is now complete, it will take until April to transfer the museum’s 8,000 pieces to their new positions.

The Rijksmuseum is one of the best-known museums in the world, with iconic works from the Dutch Golden Age of art that include Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, Joseph Telling His Dreams and The Denial Of Peter.

It also features many Vermeer works, including The Love Letter and The Kitchen Maid.

The revamped museum includes a new Asian pavilion surrounded by water, a new library and an additional floor underground with an auditorium.

It will be open year round, the only art institution to do so in the Netherlands.