Justus van Effen Quarters

Social housing at its utmost elegant, that’s the most accurate description of the the Justus van Effen Quarters. The residential complex, that was built in 1922, is the absolute masterpiece in the oeuvre of architect Michiel Brinkman, who is most widely known as one of the founders of Brinkman & van der Vlugt.

The 264 houses are set along green courtyards and are divided between a lower and an upper street. The upper street, which was a two-meter-wide gallery, was a revolutionary new feature in the housing architecture and became an international phenomenon. Apart from that, the original inhabitants of the block had access to several modern communal facilities.

During the renovation, that started from 2010, the number of houses was brought down to 154 and all of them were refurbished according to today’s standards. The old bath house became the home to a project space for contemporary art known as A Tale of a Tub.During a tour of the Justus van Effen Quarters a MuseumGuide will take you on a time journey of the complex, whilst telling you about its innovative original architecture and the later renovations. The guide will also take you inside the former bath house, to experience its current interpretation in full glory. Together you’ll experience the latest exhibition at project space A Tale of a Tub and get to know more about the contemporary art scene in Rotterdam.