ROTTERDAM, 1 September 2026 – One of Noordereiland’s most recognisable historic buildings opens to the public on Saturday 12 September during Open Monumentendag Rotterdam. From 11:00 to 17:00, you can step inside the Hulstkamp Gebouw on Maaskade, a national monument that has served as a margarine and cheese factory, genever distillery, Marines museum and, today, an event venue and business centre.
The building is normally accessible mainly during events, making Open Monumentendag a rare opportunity to explore it without attending a wedding, conference or company party. Entry is free, and the programme is designed as a walk-in visit rather than a ticketed tour.
From factory to genever distillery
The Hulstkamp Gebouw dates from the late 1880s and was designed by Rotterdam architect Jacobus Pieter Stok for Laming & Sons. The complex originally combined a margarine and cheese factory with offices, storage space and residential accommodation. Its Dutch Neo-Renaissance architecture can still be recognised in the red brickwork, natural stone and horizontal white bands across the façade.
Its best-known chapter began in 1919, when Hulstkamp & Zoon & Molijn moved into the building and established a genever and liqueur distillery. The warehouse spaces were particularly useful because aged genever needed time to mature. The company remained associated with the site for decades, and its name eventually became the name by which the building itself was known.
That history returns during Open Monumentendag through a special genever bar inside the building. It is a small nod to the period that shaped the identity of the Hulstkamp Gebouw long after the distillery itself disappeared.
If genever at lunchtime is not quite your plan, Sign Language Coffee Bar will also be present. Its Gebaaristas are trained baristas who work with sign language, turning the coffee order itself into part of the interaction.
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A survivor on Noordereiland
The Hulstkamp Gebouw occupies a prominent position on the north side of Noordereiland, directly on the Maaskade. Its scale already makes it unusual among the surrounding façades, but its history gives the building particular significance in a part of Rotterdam that was deeply affected by the Second World War.
During the fighting around Rotterdam in May 1940, German troops occupied Noordereiland and the Hulstkamp Gebouw. While parts of the island were heavily damaged, the building survived and remained standing. The national monuments register now describes it as important not only for its architecture and industrial history, but also for its defining role in the Maaskade riverfront.
After the distillery period, the building took on another very Rotterdam role. From 1980 to 1995, it housed the Mariniersmuseum, presenting the history of the Netherlands Marine Corps before the museum later moved to Wijnhaven.
The Hulstkamp Gebouw subsequently became a multi-tenant business centre and venue for events, conferences, dinners and celebrations. It received national monument status in 2000. Many historical architectural elements remain, including original structural details and parts of the old circulation spaces.
See a building normally used for events
Open Monumentendag is especially useful in Rotterdam because many participating buildings are places you may pass regularly without ever having a reason to go inside. The Hulstkamp Gebouw is a good example: its façade is familiar from walks around Noordereiland and views across the Nieuwe Maas, but its interior is considerably less accessible on an ordinary weekend.
On 12 September, visitors can simply enter between 11:00 and 17:00 and explore the building. The programme does not currently list mandatory reservations or fixed tour times for the Hulstkamp Gebouw.
Open Monumentendag Rotterdam itself runs on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September 2026, with monuments across the city opening their doors. The 2026 theme is Veerkrachtig erfgoed, or resilient heritage, focusing on buildings and places that have adapted to changing times while retaining their historical character.
The Hulstkamp Gebouw fits that theme particularly well. In well over a century, the same site has moved from industrial production to distilling, military history, offices and hospitality without losing the architectural identity that made it a landmark in the first place.
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Practical information
The Hulstkamp Gebouw is open during Open Monumentendag on Saturday 12 September 2026 from 11:00 to 17:00.
Admission is free. The official listing describes the visit as an open walk-in programme, so no reservation is currently required.
More information about the building is available at:
https://www.hulstkampgebouw.nl/
The complete Open Monumentendag Rotterdam programme can be found at:
How to get there
The Hulstkamp Gebouw stands on the northern waterfront of Noordereiland, between the Willemsbrug and Koninginnebrug. It can be reached on foot or by bike from Kop van Zuid, Blaak and the city centre, while tram and bus connections are available nearby.
