The Dutch National Museum of Photography opens a new location in Rotterdam

On February 7, 2026, the Nederlands Fotomuseum, National Museum of Photography of the Netherlands, will open its new home in the Santos Warehouse, a recently renovated historic building and now a national monument located on Rotterdam ’s Rijnhaven. The collection, which exceeds 6.5 million works, represents one of the largest museum photography collections in the world. The venue combines historic architecture and contemporary museum layout, creating an international benchmark for photography.

The museum collects, preserves, studies and presents the Dutch photographic heritage, playing a central role in the national landscape. In the Netherlands, photography has from its beginnings recognition both as an art form and as a tool for social representation. After World War II, a socially engaged style emerged, influential even internationally, while today contemporary photographers explore new artistic directions. The new location in Santos Warehouse marks a remarkable change for the museum. The building, spread over nine floors, is one of the best-preserved historic warehouses in the country and offers visitors the chance to view not only the works of the national collection, but also the storage rooms and restoration workshops, making visible the work behind the scenes.

The facility houses the Honorary Gallery of Dutch Photography, temporary exhibitions, educational spaces, a library with Europe’s largest collection of photo books, a darkroom, open studios, as well as a café and restaurant with views of the city skyline. The move to the new building was made possible by a donation from the Droom en Daad Foundation. Storage and workshops are located in the heart of the building on two floors. Glass walls allow visitors to observe the conservation and restoration work, as well as the collection’s selection of archival materials and special works. The Gallery of Honor of Dutch Photography illustrates the evolution of photography in the Netherlands from 1839 to the present, with 99 photographs selected for artistic and social impact, including works by Anton Corbijn, Dana Lixenberg, Violette Cornelius, Ed van der Elsken, Paul Huf, Rineke Dijkstra and Erwin Olaf. A hundredth work will be chosen by visitors. The Gallery’s layout is being renovated in dialogue with the new venue.

The inaugural exhibition, Rotterdam in Focus: The City in Photographs 1843-Now, features more than 300 photographs by professionals and amateurs, illustrating 180 years of the city’s transformation. On display are Hans Aarsman, Iwan Baan, Eva Besnyö, Henri Berssenbrugge, Johann Georg Hameter, Helena van der Kraan, Jannes Linders, Cas Oorthuys, Otto Snoek and others. The works come from collections of the Nederlands Fotomuseum, the Stadsarchief Rotterdam, the Royal Dutch Collections, and the Maria Austria Institute. The exhibition, curated by Frits Gierstberg and Joop de Jong, will remain open until May 24, 2026, accompanied by the publication of a volume of the same name by nai010. In parallel, the exhibition Awakening in Blue: An Ode to Cy anotype celebrates the cyanotype, a historical photographic technique characterized by deep blue. It displays both historical examples and works by fifteen contemporary artists who reinterpret the technique from a modern perspective, addressing themes such as ecology, colonialism and the body as a living archive. The exhibition, conceived by Dutch interdisciplinary collective MAISON the FAUX, will be on view until June 7, 2026. The ground floor of the venue will serve as a public meeting place, with a café, library, bookshop and reception, freely accessible without a ticket. Here, visitors will be able to consult publications, watch short films, and make use of the gathering spaces, designed as a true living room of photography.

The Santos Warehouse, built between 1901 and 1902 by architects J.P. Stok Wzn and J.J. Kanters, represents one of the best-preserved examples of early 20th-century warehouse architecture. Originally designed for the storage of coffee from Santos, Brazil, it was listed as a national monument in 2000. The renovation and expansion was carried out by German firm RENNER HAINKE WIRTH ZIRN ARCHITEKTEN in collaboration with WDJARCHITECTEN of Rotterdam and completed by Burgy Bouwbedrijf. With the opening, the Nederlands Fotomuseum consolidates its function as the leading Dutch center for photography, offering the public not only historical and contemporary works, but also an immersive experience in the process of photographic preservation, restoration and production.

The Dutch National Museum of Photography opens a new location in Rotterdam

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