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About the collection

The collection of Het Nieuwe Instituut consists of the national archive of Dutch architecture and contains 1.4 million drawings, 300.000 photographs and 3.000 models by Dutch architects and urban planners. It also includes a library with an international scope, containing 70.000 books and magazines. As such, this collection on architecture is one of the largest in the world.

Archives

The archive of so-called 'born digital' material is growing rapidly and currently contains approximately 60,000 files. This shift is one of the reasons for our increased investment in digitalisation, both in time and funding terms. One of the key outcomes is a new search portal, which provides access to the largest digital architecture archive and contains more than 140,000 images. Besides museum drawings, these archives contain sketches, preliminary drawings, correspondence, photographs, models, posters, and collected documentation. The collection offers insight into 130 years of development in Dutch architecture and urban planning. The unicity of these archives, combined with their artistic quality and the added value of the collection as a whole, provides the archives of Het Nieuwe Instituut with a great cultural and historical significance. The archive of so-called 'born digital' material is growing rapidly and currently contains approximately 60,000 files. This shift is one of the reasons for our increased investment in digitalisation, both in time and funding terms. One of the key outcomes is a new search portal, which provides access to the largest digital architecture archive and contains more than 140,000 images.

Library collection

Het Nieuwe Instituut collects and maintains publications about Dutch and international architecture, urban design and related topics such as housing, urban planning, landscape architecture and interior design. The architecture of the modern era (from the 19th century onwards) forms the core of the collection. The library collection also contains information about art, design and social trends that have influenced the way we think about the space around us.

Research Centre

In the Research Centre, you can consult the archives and the library collection. The Research Centre is open to all visitors of Het Nieuwe Instituut. More information about the Research Centre.

Research

The collection is both physically and digitally accessible to everyone: students, curators, architects, scientists, educational institutions, restorers, and anyone else with an interest in the built environment. The diversity of the collection and the combination of archives and library enables extensive research into the life and work of architects, their mutual contacts and correspondence, and their contributions and accomplishments for various organisations. The collection has a central place in the institute’s research and exhibitions programmes.

Loans

Works from the archives and library collection of Het Nieuwe Instituut are loaned out for exhibitions both in the Netherlands and abroad. More information on loans.

Questions about the collection

For questions about the collection, please contact the Study Centre (010-4401270) or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.