Renovation & Refurbishing
In February 2024, the city council of Delft definitively approved the plans for the renovation and refurbishing of our museum. The museum’s doors closed on 5 January 2025. The renovations have now begun. We would like to inform you about the major changes in store for the historic monument, inside and out.
“We will make the Museum Prinsenhof Delft an attractive and modern museum for everyone. The wonderful, monumental monastery will become sustainable and be thoroughly restored as an accessible museum for future generations. There will be beautiful, well climate-controlled museum galleries, with daylight entering through open shutters. The museum will open itself up to the city.”
Image: BiermanHenket and DELVA Landscape Architecture
Image: BiermanHenket
Image: BiermanHenket
A new Museum Prinsenhof Delft
Open
The museum opens up to the city. This starts with an inviting main entrance on the newly landscaped Prinsentuin. The shutters of the monument are opened, connecting the inside and outside. Daylight flows in again and the view of the green courtyard garden is restored.
Accessible
Everyone is welcome at Museum Prinsenhof Delft. We are removing literal and figurative barriers, making this Top 100 national monument accessible to many more people. Two new stairwells and an elevator will be added, and the differences in floor levels will be eliminated as much as possible.
Sustainable
Making a monument sustainable and creating an optimal museum and visitor climate requires care and customization. The building will be fitted with high-quality insulation and the installations will be renewed. And we are switching from gas. Where possible, building materials will be reused. New materials will be circular and made from natural raw materials as much as possible. The building will also be more adaptable. This means that changes in the presentations will be easier to implement.
Welcoming
After a green route through the Prinsentuin, we welcome visitors to the heart of the building. The Kapittelzaal is the new reception hall, where you can buy your admission ticket or a gift in the museum shop. In the new museum café, you can enjoy a cup of coffee with a view of the Prinsentuin. Young and old can learn and discover together in a creative way in Studio Prinsenhof. And the Van der Mandelezaal remains an attractive prime location for events.
The new Prinsentuin
The Prinsentuin and Sint Agathaplein originally formed a single enclosed monastery garden, divided into three parts. We are now restoring this historical
unity. This will ensure that the history remains tangible. The new layout
of the outdoor space is divided into three zones, each with its own atmosphere: Sint Agathaplein, the Prinsentuin, and the herb garden. Walkways connect the different zones, from lively and busy to increasingly peaceful. A ramp in the middle of the garden makes the museum entrance accessible to everyone.
The design of the Prinsentuin and the courtyard garden will be realized simultaneously with the renovation of the museum. The design for the garden was created in collaboration with residents of Delft. Their stories and ideas helped shape an outdoor space that reflects the history of the city.
Climate-proof and biodiverse
The Prinsentuin was designed with the future in mind: with sustainable and climate-proof principles and attention to biodiversity. Existing trees will be preserved and the greenery will be enriched with biodiverse planting. Each zone will have a different mix of native plants and
flowers. We are creating habitats for different animal species and attracting insects. We are also taking the consequences of climate change into account.
For example, we do not drain rainwater, but collect it for reuse or infiltration into the soil.
Image: DELVA Landscape Architecture Urbanism
Info Point
Everyone is welcome to visit our information point on Sint Agathaplein for the latest information about the renovation plans for the museum and the Prinsentuin. We display drawings and models, as well as videos that offer a glimpse behind the scenes. Museum staff are also present to answer any questions.
Image: Plaatwerk Fotografen
Museum Prinsenhof Delft Going Out There!
While our museum is being renovated, we will actively take our visitors out there! To other areas of the city, the region and beyond. Our collection will be on display in new places and activities will take place at other locations. We have created a mural in the Buitenhof district, and masterpieces will be going on tour to venues including the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum Breda, and Royal Delft. The Strandbeesten Mortuary can be visited in the Kabeldistrict. We will continue the successful city program Delftse Blik and fulfill our educational role with the philosophical theater performance ‘Willem!’ in collaboration with zAAk A. We will also launch a podcast. During the closure, Winkeltje Kouwenhoven - ‘the nicest little shop in Delft’ - will remain open, and the museum collection can be admired digitally at any time.
Image: Marco De Swart
Brochure
Curious about the new Museum Prinsenhof Delft 2027–2031?
Download the brochure and browse through it at your leisure.