HET NIEUWE INSTITUUT - THE NEW INSTITUTE

The Nieuwe Instituut is a superb building also located in the Museumpark, opposite the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum and next to the Chabot Museum. It manages the National Collection of Dutch Architecture and Urbanism, which contains some 700 archives of Dutch designers dating back to 1850. Designed in 1993 by Dutch architect Jo Coenen, this impressive building is surrounded by water and bathed in light thanks to its many bay windows. Metal and concrete blend harmoniously inside, creating a contemporary, welcoming space. The archives and collections housed in the building are much older than the institute itself.

Access to the exhibitions is via a ramp located behind the reception desk. The temporary exhibitions, which focus on architecture, urban planning and related disciplines, are often linked to the city. The library is worth a visit for its impressive collection, which grows by 20 meters a year, and for its two-level space, reminiscent of a ship towering over the water surrounding the institute. The view of the Museumpark from the library is soothing.

The highlight of the institute is the treasury, which showcases major works (realized and unrealized) of architecture in the Netherlands and by Dutch architects abroad. This space, with its two long walls covered in plastic slats and its central island, is intriguing. The site also includes an area specially designed for children, allowing them to discover architecture in a playful way, as well as an outdoor area. The New Garden is a testing ground for ecological management and biodiversity, and is also home to sculptures.

Admission to the Institute includes a visit to Maison Sonneveld (Huis Sonneveld), on the corner of Jongkindstraat and Rochussenstraat. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays and public holidays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., this outbuilding lets you experience the life of a family who chose, in 1933, to live in an ultra-modern house. Designed by architects Brinkman and Van der Vlugt, who were also responsible for the Van Nelle factory in Rotterdam, the Sonneveld house was at the cutting edge of modernity for its time. The clean lines, functional furniture, bathrooms with showers and bathtubs, and the comfort offered even to the staff, bear witness to the avant-garde vision of its creators.