Museumwoning de Kiefhoek

About the museum

The Kiefhoek in Rotterdam-Zuid is regarded as a high point of Nieuwe Bouwen (the Dutch modernist movement) in Dutch social housing. The architect J.J.P. Oud designed the estate for the municipal housing corporation; it was built between 1928 and 1930. For the 294 single-family houses he designed a standardised floor plan so that they could be built in series and therefore relatively cheaply. The houses are small but equipped with practical built-in features such as cupboards, a heating nook and a cloakroom with a hat shelf. Communal facilities in the same style were added, including two shops, a waterworks and a small church.

The estate is protected as a Rijksmonument complex and in 1999 was included by the International Union of Architects (UIA) in a list of the thousand most important buildings of the 20th century.

At Hendrik Idoplein 2, one of these houses has been furnished as a museum house. It shows the fittings, dimensions and interior of an original Kiefhoek house, reconstructed as it was in 1930. It can be visited as part of guided tours by the Rotterdam provider UrbanGuides, which start here and then lead through the estate; on special occasions such as Open Monumentendag or Rotterdam Architecture Month it is also open to individual visitors.

Highlights

• Faithfully furnished Kiefhoek house as it was in 1930
• J.J.P. Oud's standardised floor plan with practical built-in features
• Guided tour through the listed estate included
• Individual visits on Open Monumentendag and during Architecture Month

Permanent exhibition

• Museumswohnung De Kiefhoek – Terraced house in the Oud estate, furnished as it was in 1930, with the fittings, dimensions and room layout of an original workers' home.

Operated by

UrbanGuides (Führungen)

Admission & discounts

No individual tickets; the tour is charged as a group booking. On the special event days (Open Monumentendag) the visit was free of charge.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

According to the events portal for Open Monumentendag, only partially wheelchair accessible (typical terraced house with stairs).

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The tour's meeting point is the museum house at Hendrik Idoplein 2 in the Kiefhoek housing estate in Rotterdam-Zuid; the estate lies south of the Maas behind a dyke and is not easy to find.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit