The Collection Gallery
20 May 2026 - 26 May 2029
Immerse yourself in over 150 years of design history in the Collection Gallery. Enter an interactive, hybrid installation featuring wall-sized projections and mirrored panels. Be guided by physical objects, such as models and drawings, on a digital journey of discovery through the Nieuwe Instituut’s architecture collection.
Managed by the Nieuwe Instituut, the collection contains almost 700 archives dating from 1850 to the present day. These contain 5 million documents and numerous digital files. Together, they document the history of Dutch architecture and urban planning. The Collection Gallery invites you to explore the richness and diversity of the collection, and to delve into the stories it contains.
Everything is designed
Everything in our environment is designed; everything was once a design question. In the Collection Gallery, you’ll see how architects and designers, as well as clients and residents – from the squatters movement to neighbourhood consultations – shape our lives at every scale, from landscapes and cities to the places where we meet, the homes we live in and the everyday objects we use. The various design disciplines do not operate in isolation. Architecture, landscape design and interior design are all closely linked. These cross-pollinations have in fact been the source of the innovations of the past 150 years.
Routes and stories
The topics covered in the presentation, such as architecture and democracy, the housing shortage, colonial architecture, garden cities, computer-aided design and the role of women architects, are still relevant today. You can be guided through the themes and chapters, delving deeper into the side stories, or you can choose your own path. By taking different paths and discovering new storylines, you can discover something new with every visit.
Search for famous designs from Dutch architectural history, or explore lesser-known stories. Browse drawings, photos of models, videos, clippings, quotes, prototypes, photo albums and animations. As you navigate the different layers and connections, from interior to landscape design, you will discover the many ways in which design influences the built environment.
Over the next three years, the display will change and new stories will be added that reflect current events.
The Collection Platform
Would you like to see more of the collection? Then visit the online Collection Platform. Explore the collection intuitively and associatively using stories, objects and relationships.
Disclosing Architecture
The Collection Gallery builds on the achievements of Disclosing Architecture (2019–2024). This heritage programme, made possible by a one-time investment from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, enabled a large portion of the collection to be restored, conserved, digitised and made accessible.
The design of the Collection Gallery
Space Popular created the overarching concept, spatial design and interaction design. Mariana Lobao was responsible for the graphic design. The Collections department of the Nieuwe Instituut developed the concept for the content and the material selections, with input from various advisors.