Rethinking the Civic Role of Design Museums

Nieuwe Instituut (New Institute) is the Netherlands’ national museum and institute for architecture, design, and digital culture, located in the Museum Park with Kunsthal Rotterdam and Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen as neighbors. The institute houses an impressive architecture collection that can be freely consulted in the Research Center. Nieuwe Instituut shows the work of designers, brings people together, and collects, develops and shares knowledge.

DVDL led an extensive stakeholder and building analysis process which culminated in a building and site activation plan for Nieuwe Instituut with a focus on how the institution can create more and better connections with users, visitors, and professionals. Building on the Institute’s reputation for innovative thinking and experimentation, DVDL’s process included architectural and site analysis, workshops, a community survey, and benchmark research. Following the activation plan, DVDL worked with Nieuwe Instituut to develop programmatic and spatial proposals for future development. 

Currently, DVDL is advising the Co-Learning Department at Nieuwe Instituut on a series of programs and strategies to engage with youth in new ways that ensure these groups become life-long users of the institution.