Designing the Netherlands. 100 Years of Past & Present Futures

The Netherlands has a long and influential tradition in spatial planning and design. What can we learn from it? How did designers deal with the challenges of their time? What solutions did they envision, and what world views lay behind them? By linking past, present and future, we see that the architecture collection provides inspiration for many social issues.

How would we like to live together?

The exhibition is divided into four themes. Future Plans for the Netherlandswith large-scale national plans for the longer term. Transitions reflects on changing views on nature and landscape. Housing asks how we would like to live together in the future. And Democracy explores the role of architecture and urban design in shaping our democratic ideals.

There are works by well-known architects and urban planners, but also by designers who have not often been given a platform. OMA, Pjotr Gongrijp, the collective Vrouwen Bouwen Wonen, Carel Weeber, Herman Hertzberger, Theodoor van Lohuizen, Piet Blom, Hans Lüning, Stichting Nederland Nu als Ontwerp, Lotte Stam Beese, Enrico and Luzia Hartsyker and many others unfold their ideas for a future society through inspiring and sometimes provocative proposals.

The Board of Government Advisors 

The Board of Government Advisors (CRa) is an independent advisory board on spatial quality for the Dutch central government. For the exhibition, the CRa has drawn on the recent past, from design competitions for bio-based homes and refugee housing to Young Innovator projects. There are thought-provoking images of the future from visionaries, think tanks and universities, such as NL2120 from Wageningen University and Research, and Redesign the Delta from TU Delft. There’s also a sneak preview of the new graphic novel Alles Komt Goed [Everything Will Be Alright] by Studio Monnik.

Think along with us about the future of the Netherlands in one of the Future Workshops, or make your voice heard in the Mini Ministry of the Future!

The National Collection

The National Collection of Dutch Architecture and Urban Planning celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. With some 700 archives, it is one of the largest architectural collections in the world. Focusing primarily on design processes and the history of the ideas behind them, the collection is an inexhaustible source of ideas, ideals and ambitions.