Designing the Netherlands: 100 Years of Past and Present Futures

New vision

In the Netherlands, spatial planning is back on the drawing board, as government and architects try to find a response to the major societal and ecological challenges that affect us all, such as the climate crisis, housing, the energy transition and social justice. Designing the Netherlands is a collaboration with the Dutch Board of Government Advisors (CRa). With new design proposals as well as numerous examples from the architecture collection of the Nieuwe Instituut, this exhibition provides much-needed inspiration for a new vision of the design of our country.

Challenges

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 Netherlands with 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.

Future

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.