Museums, Exhibitions & Discounts

Nagele is one of the most unusual villages in the Netherlands. It lies in the Noordoostpolder in Flevoland, on land that was drained from the former Zuiderzee in the early 1940s, and it was laid out in the years after the Second World War according to the principles of the Nieuwe Bouwen, the Dutch branch of the modern movement in architecture. A group of architects and planners known as De 8 and Opbouw drew up the plan, and the village became a showcase of ideas about light, air, space and social life.

The approach was radical for its time. Instead of a dense core of streets around a church or market, Nagele has houses grouped in open clusters, with generous green space between them. Public buildings such as schools, shops and churches are placed in a central area, and the whole village is surrounded by a belt of trees that shelters it from the wind on the open polder. The rows of houses are low and plain, with large windows and flat or gently pitched roofs. Members of the group, including Aldo van Eyck, Ben Merkelbach and Gerrit Rietveld, took part in the design of buildings and layout.

Exploring the village is a pleasure for anyone interested in modern architecture. The layout is easy to read on foot or by bicycle, and walking around gives a clear sense of how the planners imagined everyday life, with children walking to school across green space and neighbours meeting at shared places. Some buildings have been altered over the years, and the village has faced the usual pressures of ageing and population change, but the original structure remains clear.

A local museum, housed in a former church, tells the story of the village and explains the ideas behind it, with models, photographs and plans, and it hosts changing exhibitions on art and architecture. Opening days are limited, so check the schedule before travelling, and look for current ticket arrangements and any discounts offered to museum card holders, students or groups.

The village suits architecture and design enthusiasts, students of planning and anyone who enjoys cycling through quiet polder scenery. The surrounding Noordoostpolder is flat and open, with farmland and woods, and the nearby town of Emmeloord and the former island of Urk make easy additions to a day out. A visit to the village takes a couple of hours.