Dutch Photo Museum Moves into Rotterdam Coffee Warehouse in 2025

There is no doubt Rotterdam is one of Europe’s most design-forward cities, especially when it comes to adapting historic buildings for contemporary uses. A striking example is the early 20th-century Pakhuis Santos, the former Santos coffee warehouse in Rotterdam’s port area. This industrial landmark is being transformed into the new home of the Nederlands Fotomuseum (Dutch Photo Museum) and is scheduled to reopen mid-2025. The conversion is led by Renner Hainke Wirth Zirn Architekten from Hamburg in collaboration with WDJARCHITECTEN from Rotterdam.

In the summer of 2023, the Nederlands Fotomuseum acquired the Santos warehouse with support from the Droom en Daad Foundation. For the museum, acquiring its own site in the port realized a long-held ambition: to operate from a dedicated building in Rotterdam’s dynamic harbor district. The Santos building sits in the Rijnhaven area, one of the city’s largest redevelopment zones.

The design strategy establishes a clear distinction between the historical warehouse and the contemporary additions. Where possible, the team restored original fabric dating from the warehouse’s first construction phase in 1901, applying careful conservation techniques to both exterior and interior elements. This preservation-first approach guided decisions throughout the project.

To increase capacity and enhance the building’s presence, the historic volume was raised by two floors and capped with a distinctive roof pavilion. The new roof sits lightly above the original structure, creating a silhouette that reads like a contemporary crown. A central atrium, stretching from ground level to the top floor and covered by a glass roof, brings daylight deep into the heart of the building.

The principal aim of the redesign was to convert the warehouse’s traditionally closed, dim interiors into open, welcoming spaces without erasing the building’s character. The new atrium floods the interior with natural light and visually links nearly all levels—from the ground floor up to the seventh—while preserving the atmosphere and material qualities that define the original warehouse. The basement remains largely unaffected to retain its historical footprint.

When the Nederlands Fotomuseum officially relocates to the Santos warehouse in mid-2025, the site will open to the public as a cultural destination. The program includes exhibition spaces showcasing photographic work, as well as a restaurant with a bar and an outdoor terrace. The redeveloped Santos promises to attract international visitors and local residents alike, reinforcing Rotterdam’s reputation for innovative, respectful reuse of historic buildings.