Van Nellefabriek

The Van Nellefabriek is a former industrial complex in Rotterdam, Netherlands, built for the Van Nelle company between 1927 and 1931 and celebrated as an icon of modernist industrial architecture. Its large glazed façades and rational production layouts exemplify interwar functionalist design.

The site has been adapted for contemporary uses including offices, creative industries and events while retaining its characteristic façades and structural logic. Guided visits and occasional public events offer insight into the building’s architectural significance.

Designed by architects Brinkman and Van der Vlugt and completed in the early 1930s, the factory was purpose-built for processing coffee, tea and tobacco and became known for its pioneering use of glass and concrete in large industrial spaces. Subsequent decades saw adaptive reuse to accommodate new tenants and functions.

The complex is located in Rotterdam’s urban area in South Holland, readily accessible from the city and seen as a landmark of 20th century industrial design in the Netherlands.

• Construction and designers: Constructed 1927-1931 for the Van Nelle company, the complex is an emblematic example of 20th century modernist industrial design by Brinkman and Van der Vlugt.

What to See #

• Administration block: Administration building with glazed curtain‑wall and offices, designed to express transparency and light in the factory's management quarters.
• Production halls: Large production halls with open floor plans and extensive horizontal glazing that allowed daylight deep into the manufacturing spaces; these halls are the building's defining industrial spaces.