The Dutch National Museum of Photography officially opened its doors to the public on 7 February in its new location in a converted coffee warehouse on Rotterdam’s waterfront.
After more than 25 years of collecting, preserving, and exhibiting photography, the Nederlands Fotomuseum now occupies the former Santos warehouse, giving the institution space worthy of its expanding ambitions and collections.
Built between 1901 and 1903, the Grade A listed building originally served as a storage facility for coffee imported from the Brazilian port of Santos, the name of which still appears proudly on the façade. By the early 20th century, coffee had already become a staple drink across much of Europe, and Rotterdam’s port played a central role in this trade.
The warehouse is now not only the largest of its kind, but also one of the best-preserved industrial buildings of its period in the Netherlands. The architects responsible for the renovation retained the building’s original six floors and cast-iron column structure, which was designed to limit daylight exposure, ideal conditions for conserving both coffee and light-sensitive photographic works.
The red brick building, with its decorated lintels and deep-set openings, now boasts a sleek, renovated structure that has become a familiar sight in Katendrecht. Once notorious as Rotterdam’s rough-and-tumble red-light district and home to Europe’s largest Chinatown, the peninsula has been transformed into a vibrant cultural hub renowned for its artistic and culinary offerings.
The 9,000-square-metre complex was transformed by Hamburg-based architects Renner Hainke Wirth Zirn Architekten to adapt the building for use as a museum.
A new central atrium and staircase now connect the different levels, from the basement to the rooftop. These are surrounded by spacious, open-plan, multi-use interiors that accommodate exhibitions, events, workshops, and visible storage areas. Visitors can now view parts of the museum’s extensive collection and observe the conservation work that was previously hidden from view.
The two new top floors, wrapped in a semi-transparent façade, crown the original structure. This “crown,” which some say resembles a Basquiat-style illuminated headpiece, houses offices and a restaurant offering panoramic views of the harbour and Rotterdam’s skyline.
The museum’s holdings now number over 6.5 million photographs and objects and are expected to reach 7.5 million by 2028. They trace the evolution of the medium from early daguerreotypes dating back to the 1840s to contemporary work by photographers such as Dana Lixenberg, Erwin Olaf, and Jaya Pelupessy. The collection also comprises over 175 complete archives, including those of Ed van der Elsken, Augusta Curiel, and Esther Kroon, which provide unparalleled insight into Dutch photographic history.
The first floor is home to the Gallery of Honour of Dutch Photography, which showcases the work of the country’s leading photographers in a permanent exhibition. The upper floors accommodate rotating exhibitions. State-of-the-art, climate-controlled storage and conservation facilities are interspersed between the exhibition spaces. A particular novelty lies in the conservation studios, where glass partitions allow visitors to observe specialists restoring and preserving photographic works.@rotterdam_info A new home for photography in Rotterdam 📸 The Nederlands Fotomuseum opens in pakhuis Santos, a restored national monument on Katendrecht and sets a new standard for photography museums in Europe. This new state-of-the-art venue brings photography together in many ways. Across nine floors you’ll find extensive exhibition spaces, a photo bookshop and library, an education centre and community areas. The renewed museum also houses a café, a darkroom and a rooftop restaurant with sweeping views of the Rotterdam skyline. This is not just a museum, it’s a living home for photography, where Dutch photographic heritage meets the city and the future. Will you be one of the first to discover it? Tickets are now available via @nlfotomuseum #dorotterdam #rotterdammakeithappen #visitrotterdam ♬ origineel geluid – Rotterdam Info 💚
At street level, glass façades now replace the former solid walls, visually opening the museum to the city. The café, bookshop, and library invite passers-by inside, blurring the boundaries between the museum and the neighbourhood.
Beyond exhibitions, the museum features community and education spaces, workshops, and even a darkroom accessible to both professionals and amateurs.
The museum’s organisers hope that the omnipresence of photography in the smartphone and social media era will translate into a deeper public interest in the medium’s history and artistic value.
"Since the 17th-century masters, light has been integral to Dutch art," museum director Birgit Donker has noted. "Photography therefore, feels like a natural continuation of that tradition."
