Het Nieuwe Instituut

Het Nieuwe Instituut has established the Agency for Architecture, Design and Digital Culture to cater to the needs of the professional field at large.

A long-term research project on the implications of automation for the built environment. Automated Landscapes seeks to document and reflect upon the emerging architectures and urbanisms of automated labour, looking at other actors involved in the production of spaces that remain beyond classic notions of authorship and signature.

This web magazine documents the proceedings, output and cultural context of the Bot Club, a recurring programme on algorithmic culture, one of the long-term research projects of Het Nieuwe Instituut’s R&D department.

Het Nieuwe Instituut manages 600 archives and collections of Dutch architects, urban planners, professional associations and educational institutions, comprising a total of some 4,000,000 documents. The collection is available for research in the Study Centre.

Het Nieuwe Instituut's programming and R&D has an international focus that reflects the fact that design operates in a global field and presents itself on a global stage

Research projects initiated and carried out at the Jaap Bakema Study Centre can lead to exhibitions, publications, discussions and specific partial studies related to the activities of Het Nieuwe Instituut and the research programme of Faculty of Architecture at the Delft University of Technology. The study centre also facilitates research by and with third parties. The activities of the Jaap Bakema Study Centre are socially relevant and generate discussion of current issues. It also contributes to fundamental research and knowledge development on the creative industry, design, culture and society.

Contemporary life is characterized by radical technological, economic, cultural and social shifts. Het Nieuwe Instituut aims to illuminate and map this rapidly changing world, while simultaneously fostering the discussion of topics relating to the vast field of design. Members of Het Nieuwe Instituut support its mission. 

The New Material Award invites artists and designers to present designs that offer innovative solutions to the issues of today and the challenges of tomorrow. Each project should integrate new materials, or innovative ways of using materials.

Weekly presentations in Het Nieuwe Instituut, spotighting a controversial new design, sensational research, work by an emerging talent or a new acquisition for the State Archive for Dutch Architecture and Urban Planning. 

In the regional programme, Het Nieuwe Instituut concentrates on projects with local and regional governments that have a certain urgency for a particular region.

In recent years, the concept and practice of research has attracted renewed attention within the cultural sector. Research plays a critical role in elucidating the relevance of both existing and new ideas, and the responsibility of institutions in their construction and promotion. 

Studio Rotterdam aims to articulate new perspectives on contemporary issues and future challenges in Rotterdam. Design and designers, preferably local, will play a key role in this.

Het Nieuwe Instituut’s Thursday Night programme addresses varied issues related to architecture, design and digital culture. Each week there is a lecture or talk show, a pop-in expo, a Thursday Bite and various partner programmes, as well as a chance to visit the exhibitions.