National Museum of Photography

In 2025, the National Museum of Photography will move into its new Rotterdam home. Known as the Santos building, the Grade A-listed national monument is situated in the Rijnhaven harbour district, on the border of the revitalised Katendrecht neighbourhood and the diverse Afrikaanderwijk. 

Designed by architects J.P. Stok Wzn and J.J. Kanters, the building opened in 1903 as a warehouse for Brazilian coffee. In 2021, the German design department store group stilwerk restored and transformed the historic building. The renovation was designed by architects Renner Hainke Wirth Zirn Architekten, Hamburg and WDJARCHITECTEN, Rotterdam, and carried out by Leiden-based contractor Burgy. The building has since been acquired by the National Museum of Photography, and is being transformed into a state-of-the-art home for the Dutch national collection of over 6.5 million photographic images, one of the largest museum collections of photography in the world.  

The Santos building is one of the best-preserved warehouses in the Netherlands. The interior is practically in original condition. As part of the renovation, the building’s original six storeys have been retained, with a cast-iron column structure, along with a large basement below the entire surface area of the building.

On the ground floor, a generous open-plan atrium has been created with a central stairwell running up through the building. Two new storeys have been added to the top of the old building, with the upper level enveloped by a semi-transparent ‘crown’ façade. The building's open floor plan and closed façades with minimal daylight makes it ideal for showcasing and storing the Museum’s collection of photographs and light-sensitive photographic objects.

Opening in the second half of 2025, the museum will include extensive exhibition spaces, climate-controlled facilities housing the collection, conservation spaces, an education centre, community spaces, photography bookshop and library, a museum café, a darkroom for professional photographers and amateurs alike, and a rooftop restaurant with panoramic views of the Rotterdam skyline.