Het Nieuwe Instituut

About the museum

Het Nieuwe Instituut was created on 1 January 2013 through the merger of the Nederlands Architectuurinstituut (NAi), the Premsela Institute for Design and Fashion and the Virtueel Platform. It is the national institute for architecture, design and digital culture in the Netherlands and represents the country at the Venice Architecture Biennale, among other things.

It is housed in the Museumpark in the building designed by Jo Coenen, which was completed for the NAi in 1993 and remodelled in 2012. The archives held there contain around four million drawings, models, photographs and digital files on Dutch architecture and urban planning since 1850.

The collection is opened up in the “Collection Gallery” as an interactive installation with wall-sized projections, which runs until 2029. The institute also organises exhibitions, lectures and events on topics such as the housing shortage, the climate crisis and artificial intelligence. Since Earth Day 2022 it has seen itself as a “Zoöp”, which also takes the interests of non-human living beings into account in its decisions.

The institute also includes the nearby Huis Sonneveld, a functionalist house from 1933, which can be visited as a museum house in its own right.

Highlights

• Archives on Dutch architecture with around four million objects
• Collection Gallery: interactive installation with wall-sized projections
• Building by Jo Coenen in the Museumpark (1993)
• Huis Sonneveld, a functionalist house from 1933, included in the combined ticket
• Free admission on Thursday evenings

Permanent exhibition

• Collection Gallery – Interactive installation with wall-sized projections and mirror panels that leads through the architecture collection: from housing shortages and garden cities to computer-aided design and women architects.

Founded

2013

Director

Yesomi Umolu

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission Thursday 5–9 pm

€18 applies as a combined ticket for Het Nieuwe Instituut and Huis Sonneveld. Free with Museumkaart, Rotterdampas, ICOM/ICAM, VriendenLoterij VIP card, Rembrandtkaart, We Are Public, and for members and teachers. The museum ticket is not valid for events.

Accessibility

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

Entrance via steps or a gentle ramp; lifts and ramps to the exhibitions and café. Wheelchairs and walking aids available to reserve, toilet with lowered washbasin on the ground floor, noise-cancelling headphones and a pictogram card. Reserved spaces in the Museumpark car park. Questions: receptie@nieuweinstituut.nl.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

Children under 18 have free admission. Playful activities such as the mushroom treasure hunt “Fungi Finder” and the hands-on exhibition “Future Makers!”; changing tables and high chairs available.

Getting there & parking

Street parking is possible via smartphone app.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Lockers

Nieuwe Café (mostly plant-based and seasonal, also without a ticket, with terrace), NAi Booksellers bookshop in the foyer, the New Store museum shop and the Re-Centre for reading and archive research during opening hours.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Three rooms, including the auditorium and Nieuwe Café on the ground floor, for conferences, lectures, receptions and celebrations; vegetarian catering, vegan alternatives on request. Enquiries: verhuur@nieuweinstituut.nl.

Plan your visit