Overview

• The city executive proposes acquiring the Steigerkerk for roughly €5 million and budgeting €20–40 million for renovation, after which the museum would lease the site.
• Completion of the purchase hinges on a council credit decision and aligned terms with the parish, the Dominican order and the diocese that own parts of the complex.
• V8 Architects initiated the church-to-museum plan and, after feasibility research, report that the church halls fit exhibitions, the cloister suits reception and hospitality, and the garden and forecourt can serve visitors.
• The plan revives a city museum that closed in 2020 after a negative subsidy assessment, with the collection of about 110,000 objects preserved and the ’40–’45 NU location still operating.
• Led by director Léontine Meijer-Van Mensch, the renewed institution aims to function as a community-focused network museum centered on Rotterdam’s history and to scale up in phases.