The Van Nelle Factory

The Van Nelle factory was built between the mid 1920s and the early 1930s to process coffee, tea and tobacco, and its designers hung the floors from a concrete frame so the outer walls could be almost entirely glass. The result is a long, curved, transparent block with glazed conveyor bridges running diagonally between the buildings, which is what most photographs of it show. The intention was industrial as much as aesthetic: light, air and clear sightlines for the people working inside. Production ended decades ago and the complex now holds offices, studios and event space, so the interiors are in use rather than preserved as a factory, and access to them is arranged rather than casual.

History

The factory was built between 1925 and 1931 to designs by Leendert van der Vlugt of the Brinkman and Van der Vlugt office, with the reinforced concrete specialist J. G. Wiebenga, for the Van Nelle company's co-owner Cees van der Leeuw, and it is a model of the Dutch modernism known as Nieuwe Bouwen; Le Corbusier called it the most beautiful spectacle of the modern age in 1932. Van der Leeuw and the directors Matthijs de Bruyn and Bertus Sonneveld were so impressed that they had Van der Vlugt build their own houses between 1928 and 1932. Through the 20th century it processed coffee, tea and tobacco and later chewing gum, cigarettes, instant pudding and rice; Sara Lee/Douwe Egberts bought Van Nelle in 1989 and production ended in 1996. Eric Gude planned the factory's new use from 1997 and brought in Wessel de Jonge in 1999 to coordinate the renovation, after which it reopened as offices and studios, and since 2014 it has been a World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Van Nelle Factory).

What's there

• The glass curtain wall - the continuous glazing that made the working floors bright.
• The conveyor bridges - enclosed diagonal links that carried goods between the buildings.
• The concrete frame - mushroom columns and hung floors, visible wherever interiors are open.
• The waterside frontage - the long elevation along the Schie, best seen from the far bank.

When to go

The exterior can be seen at any hour and photographs best in low winter light or at dusk, when the glass lights up from inside. Interior tours run on set days and sell out, so book well ahead. Weekdays mean an active office site with people coming and going, weekends are quieter but with fewer tours running.

Practical notes

This is a working business park, not a museum, and arriving without a tour booking gets you a walk around the outside and a security barrier. There is no permanent exhibition. The surroundings are industrial and unremarkable, and the approach on foot from the city centre is long and dull.

Nearby

Delfshaven, the old harbour quarter with its historic waterfront, is a short ride away.

Key facts