Rotterdam awards Boijmans renovation, reopening late 2030

Rotterdam awards Boijmans Van Beuningen renovation contract, reopening expected late 2030

Rotterdam has awarded the renovation of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen to Dura Vermeer, J.P. van Eesteren and Koninklijke Kuijpers after three months of talks on higher costs; work starts at the end of October and reopening is expected at the end of 2030.

15 October 2026 by Robert Eduard Antal, facts checked automatically against the source · updated 23 October 2026

Key facts

The municipality awarded the renovation to the construction consortium Dura Vermeer and J.P. van Eesteren and to installer Koninklijke Kuijpers.

Work begins at the end of October and the museum is expected to reopen at the end of 2030.

After costs came in higher, the city held three months of talks with Mecanoo, the contractors and the museum to make the project affordable.

Rotterdam has awarded the renovation of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen to the construction consortium Dura Vermeer and J.P. van Eesteren and to installer Koninklijke Kuijpers. The companies start work at the end of October, and the museum is expected to reopen at the end of 2030. The award closes a tender in which costs came in higher than expected, which the city resolved by reworking the plan with all parties.

Three months of talks on cost

Over the past 3 months the municipality held intensive talks with architects Mecanoo, the contractors and the museum. The main aim was to make the project affordable. All parts of the plan and all budgets were reviewed again, which led to adjustments. The working method was also examined to reduce risks. According to the city, the result keeps as much as possible of the quality and ambitions of the final design.

Alderman Diederik van Dommelen said the parties discussed how the work could be done more efficiently and which possible subsidies could be applied for. The museum advised on whether proposed improvements and savings were feasible. Acting director Sandra Kisters called the decision an important milestone for the museum and for the city.

Five goals of the design

The plan is built around 5 goals from the final design:

restoring the old, listed building sections by Van der Steur, Bodon and Henket;
a new main entrance where visitors are received;
better supply and removal logistics for the museum’s work;
better walking routes for visitors inside the building;
a better connection between the museum, the city and the Museumpark.

What happens next

The companies will first work with the architect, the advisers, the municipality and the museum to develop the design technically. They will also prepare a construction schedule and plan how materials are delivered and removed and how the building site is set up. Actual construction begins once this phase has been completed. The city says the 3 companies have extensive experience with difficult renovations and with museums, and have worked in Rotterdam and elsewhere.

From the end of 2030 the building is expected to be accessible again to everyone from Rotterdam and beyond.

The project

Renovation of Museum Boijmans Van BeuningenUnder way

After three months of talks to make the project affordable, the city awarded the renovation of the museum, designed by Mecanoo, to Dura Vermeer, J.P. van Eesteren and Koninklijke Kuijpers in October 2026; it restores the listed buildings and adds a new main entrance and better links to the Museumpark, and the museum is expected to reopen at the end of 2030.

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