Discover the Van Nelle Factory

Along the bank of the Delfshavense Schie lies a remarkable UNESCO World Heritage site: the Van Nelle Factory. This unique building from 1931 is considered to be the symbol of Dutch modernism.

Just before the pandemic outbreak of the Spanish Flu, the Rotterdam company Van Nelle decided to build a large, new factory to replace all their stuffy and poorly ventilated buildings in the city center. It would be a progressive and revolutionary design, giving air, light and space a whole new meaning in architecture. To this day it is without doubt one of the most extraordinary buildings in town; It is not without reason that Le Corbusier called it “the most beautiful spectacle of modern times”. UrbanGuides is proud to organize guided tours through this “glass palace” since 2004.

Curious to discover the Van Nelle Factory for yourself? This summer you will walk through the factory in small groups with an experienced architecture guide. The architecture, the history of Van Nelle, the production process in the factory and the transformation to a new future are discussed. With the corona outbreak in mind, it’s extra special to see how the designers of hygiene and ventilation were way ahead of their time.

With your ticket you can visit the Chabot Museum, which is set in one of the modernist white villa’s along the Museumpark, make free use of the pendel service and take part in a tour of the Van Nelle Factory.

When

Every week UrbanGuides and the Chabot Museum organize tours through the Van Nelle Factory. Every Saturday there is an English spoken tour whick starts at 2:00 PM at the Chabot Museum in the Museum Park. From there a bus will take you to the Van Nelle Factory, completely corona-proof (mask required). After the tour, the bus will also take you back to the Museum Park.

Group tours

Rather experience the Van Nelle Factory with your own private group? Check out the link for more information and email us at info@urbanguides.nl to make a group booking.