The New Institute

Leading museum of architecture in the Netherlands

The Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAI) is the leading architecture museum in the Netherlands and it is no coincidence that this museum is located in Rotterdam. Rotterdam is famous for its design and modern architecture. The NAI was recently merged into the so called New Institute in Rotterdam, an organization for architecture, design and e-culture which organizes joint cultural activities.

Architecture for everyone

In Rotterdam you will find a lot of striking modern architecture, of which the NAI building itself is a good example. Whether you´re an architectural expert or not, the NAI makes architecture accessible to everyone!

Dutchville exhibition

One of permanent exhibitions at the Netherlands Architecture Institute is Dutchville. This NAI exhibition makes you experience what it´s like to live in a big city. Dutchville a trip through a traditional Dutch city with a historical centre, industrial areas and affordable housing developments. Dutchville is a virtual city constructed with models from the impressive NAI collection. Take a walking tour along these models and listen to the stories and experiences of the inhabitants.

The NAI Treasury exhibition

At the brand new permanent exhibition called Treasury, you can admire 100 masterpieces from the vast collection of the NAI. The treasury displays work of icons from the Dutch architecture history such as Cuypers, Dudok and Oud. The exhibition space has a heart of glass with models, drawings, pictures and photographs from the big collection of the NAi with work of Dutch designers Berlage, Koolhaas and Rietveld.

Visiting the Museum of Architecture in Rotterdam with kids

Within the Hands-on Deck area, your kids can build their own buildings. Admission to the NAI Hands-on Deck is free. With the over-sized playing blocks they create big structures by means of the construction templates. At four large interactive tables kids can play with a virtual surface.

Sonneveld House in Rotterdam

Another part of the Netherlands Architecture Institute is the Sonneveld House Museum. Huis Sonneveld is a villa built in the Nieuwe Bouwen style, the Dutch branch of Modernism, which arose in Europe around 1900. The villa, which is named after the family that use to live in it, is located just outside the museum of architecture. It was built in 1932 and was designed by the same architects that created the Van Nelle factory and the Feyenoord soccer stadium in Rotterdam. At Huis Sonneveld you’ll experience what it must have been like to live in a hypermodern house in the 1930’s with furniture of Dutch designer Gispen and the latest household gadgets from those days.

Centre of excellence for architects

The New Institute Rotterdam is not just a museum of architecture, but also a knowledge base for architects and (urban) developers. The NAI Rotterdam offers one of the biggest architecture collections in the world with drawings, prints, models, photographs, books and journals. Within their archives, you will find work from every prominent Dutch architect since 1800, including personal archives of famous Dutch architects like Dudok, Cuypers, Berlage and De Klerk. Futhermore the NAI library contains over 35,000 books on architecture.

Changing exhibitions of the Netherlands Architecture Institute

Besides the permanent exhibitions, the New Institute Rotterdam also organizes various changing exhibitions, so there will never be a boring day at the museum!