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Museum · Roterdã, Holanda Meridional
Nieuwe Instituut
Museum of architecture, design and digital culture in the Museumpark, which houses the country's national architecture archive. Next door, the Huis Sonneveld is a modernist house from the 1930s open to visitors.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Nieuwe Instituut
The Nieuwe Instituut is the national museum of architecture, design and digital culture of the Netherlands. It preserves the national architecture and urbanism collection, with about 4.5 million documents, drawings and models, and mounts exhibitions about how cities and objects are conceived.
The building, beside a reflecting pool in the Museumpark, has a long wing on pilotis where the archive is located. The Collection Gallery shows part of the holdings in an installation with projections and mirrors, and the other rooms host temporary exhibitions.
A few steps away is the Huis Sonneveld, administered by the institute. It is a 1933 house in the functionalist Nieuwe Bouwen style, designed by the firm Brinkman en Van der Vlugt—the same that designed the Van Nelle factory. Albertus Sonneveld, director of Van Nelle, moved there with his family and left almost everything from the old house behind.
At the Huis Sonneveld, tubular furniture by Gispen, period glass and textiles remain in their original place, and the audio-guide tour shows how a Rotterdam family lived modernism before the war.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
1 to 2 hours in the institute; plus 45 minutes to 1 hour at the Huis Sonneveld.
Best time
Tuesday to Sunday. Check the opening hours of both before you go.
How to get there
In the Museumpark, next to the Depot Boijmans. Tram to the Museumpark stop or metro to Eendrachtsplein; from Rotterdam Centraal it's about a 15-minute walk.
Tip
Admission often includes the Huis Sonneveld: visit both on the same day. Architecture enthusiasts can complete the itinerary with the cube houses and the Kunsthal.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Nieuwe Instituut
What can you see at the Nieuwe Instituut?
Exhibitions on architecture, design and digital culture, as well as part of the national collection of architecture and urbanism.
What is the Huis Sonneveld?
A modernist house from 1933, with original furniture and objects, showing how a wealthy family from Roterdã lived in the 1930s.
Is the Huis Sonneveld far from the institute?
No, it's a short walk away, on the edge of Museumpark.