It’s almost over; at least deadlines, and the break is closer for all of us. Like myself, probably many of you puffy-eyed architecture students shiver at the thought of doing something new after submitting the “…finalfinalfinal.pdf” booklet. Because we are people of culture who love discussing arts and politics and talking indefinitely with that mysterious Tarkovsky-movie lover with headphones on 24/7 who always works on the first-floor west wing next to the printer, I hope you’re as excited as I am to know what’s happening around the Netherlands in the coming weeks.
And because we still love buildings - even though maybe a bit less now after fixing balcony drainages on the 1:10 detail drawings, and after definitely not having enough time to bother about cool stuff to do at 2 am before the renders are done, I curated a small list of events in cool buildings that might heal our creative minds surgically. Here it is.
Rotterdam Photography Museum (from 7 Nov)
Let me start with our dominant visual sense. Photography in the Netherlands has a new home: the Nederlands Fotomuseum just moved location and will open its doors in Rotterdam on the 7th of February 2026. It will feature leading Dutch photographers as well as emerging talents, spanning from the invention of photography around 1839 to the present day.
Not only does it house the collection, but the building itself is an intriguing piece of architecture: the monumental Santo warehouse, designed and built in 1901-1902 by architects Stok Wzn and J.J. Kanters for coffee shipped from the Brazilian port city of Santos. The restoration by Burgy Bouwbedrijf has been internationally acclaimed. I passed by once, and the richly decorated north and south facades and traditional Beaux-Arts composition caught my eye immediately.
International Film Festival Rotterdam (29 Jan – 8 Feb)
To continue with Rotterdam, I recently found out about the International Film Festival Rotterdam, which might not be news to many of you. Held from the 29th of January to February the 8th, the festival offers a diverse palette of contemporary artistic movies, many of them English-subtitled.
This year the IFFR pairs with the Fenix new art museum dedicated to migration. Some of the highlighted films include Providence and the Guitar by João Nicolau (World Premiere), Bazaar (Murder in the Building) by Rémi Bezançon (World Premiere), and The Secret Agent (O Agente Secreto), by Kleber Mendonça Filho (with four Oscar nominations).
For those still seeking tangencies to our architectural interests, you will find movies such as: Not Built to Last (Deniz Arikan), featuring a discussion with two architects about post-war Rotterdam, Verdigris; a historical and political inquiry into the architecture of the Paris Métro system; and Venezia Diorama. AFFR has also published a list of tips for the best architecture-related films at IFFR (2026, AFFR).
The Hidden Jazz in Amsterdam
To my shame, I skipped a day of studying for my Architectural History and Theory exam to go here last Saturday. And oh boy, if you love any kind of music and enjoy being alive and human, you will love this.
The Hidden Jazz Club is a project as fresh as November 2025 organized by a married melophile couple, who bring together artists from The Netherlands and across Europe for some of the finest forms of jazz improvisation. Beyond the great music, should I tell you about the beautiful church where the concerts take place? The De Duif church on Prinsenhof 756 replaces the sadly burned-down Vondelkerk where previous concerts were held. I’m sure you will appreciate the wall-borne acoustics in this space.
The standard ticket starts at row 5 so if you arrive early, you can get a really nice spot for the lowest price. Small tip: The diagonal seats on the sides offer a pretty good view. Beware that tickets sell fast, so maybe book it before the break.
Others
De Holland Dance Festival starts on the 4th of February with Wild Song at the elegant Amare in The Hague. Meanwhile, MVRDV also opens the “Carbon Confessions” exhibition in Rotterdam on the 31st January. You can also check out the graffiti exhibition at the STRAAT Museum in Amsterdam or contemporary art at the Banksy Museum or the Moco Museum. I dearly hope this inspires some of you to go out and explore. Maybe your crush would like to join you, who knows? I find these great excuses to have a good time either way. I’ll definitely be at some of these, so maybe I’ll see you there.
Until then, good luck with the final exams and hold on tight, fellow designers. :)
Useful links:
Nederlands Fotomuseum – Rotterdam
New location of the Dutch national photography museum, opening in the restored Santo warehouse with exhibitions from early photography to contemporary work.
https://nederlandsfotomuseum.nl/en/
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)
Official festival website with programme, tickets, film schedule, and events.
https://iffr.com/nl/
AFFR Picks: Best Architecture Films at IFFR
Curated selection by the Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam of architecture-related films screening at IFFR.
https://www.affr.nl/en/nieuws/affr-tipt-de-beste-architectuurfilms-op-iffr/
The Hidden Jazz Club – Amsterdam
Live jazz concert series hosted in historic church venues, featuring improvisational musicians from across Europe.
https://www.hiddenjazzclub.com/amsterdam/
Holland Dance Festival – Wild Song (The Hague)
Performance at Amare opening the Holland Dance Festival, combining contemporary dance and live music.
https://www.holland-dance.com/voorstellingen/wildsong
MVRDV – Carbon Confessions Exhibition (Rotterdam)
Exhibition exploring the environmental impact of architecture and design through MVRDV’s work and research.
https://www.keilecollectief.nl/evenementen/mvrdv-exhibition-carbon-confessions
Moco Museum – Amsterdam
Museum of modern and contemporary art featuring street art, digital art, and immersive exhibitions.
https://www.mocomuseum.com/amsterdam/
Banksy Museum – Amsterdam
Exhibition space dedicated to works and installations related to Banksy and urban art culture.
https://museumbanksy.nl/en/
