Visit · Koelhuis, Maashaven
Maashaven Zuidzijde 7, 3081 AE Rotterdam
Wed – Sun · Fridays till 02:00
Find the door.
Right now
Four minutes from Metro Maashaven. Walk west along the quay until you see a red light above a steel door. If the light is on, so are we.
Open late, closed early in the week.
We open when most galleries close. Monday and Tuesday the doors stay shut while we hang the next room.
Hours
Mon – Tue
Closed. We are hanging things
Wed – Thu
16:00 – 00:00
Friday
16:00 – 02:00 · Late
Saturday
12:00 – 00:00
Sunday
12:00 – 20:00
Last entry
30 minutes before lights off
Tickets
€12
Standard, all rooms
€7
Students, CJP, Rotterdampas
Free
Under 18, Museumkaart
Free
Last Friday of the month, after 22:00
+ €4
Torch tour of Room 2, twelve places
Tickets are sold at the desk, card only. No booking needed except for torch tours and Late Friday sets: write to desk@afterhours.gallery.
Fridays till 02:00.
On Fridays the building stays open while the harbour sleeps. Entry after 22:00 is free on the last Friday of the month; the torches are on us.
21:00
The bar opens on the loading dock. Beer from across the river, wine by the glass, no cocktails.
22:00
Torch tour of Room 2. Twelve places, €4, ask at the desk.
23:00
Sound in the cold rooms, or nothing at all. See the programme.
01:30
Last entry. At 02:00 we switch off the red light over the door.
Where things are.
Drawn from the 1931 cold-store plans. Rooms are numbered the way the night watchman numbered them.
Fig. 2 — Ground floor. R4, the project space, is one floor up by lift or stairs.
R1
Paintings
Lit at 50 lux, the level paintings need.
R2
The dark room
Kept at 3 lux. A torch is handed out at the door.
R3
The cold room
Sodium light and a low tone. Four degrees when Oona Ström plays it.
R4
Project space
First floor, lift or stairs. Night Shift until 20 December.
R5
Reading room
Books, editions, catalogues and the desk.
Dock
The bar
On the loading dock, Fridays from 21:00.
By metro, tram or water.
Rotterdam Zuid, on the south bank of the Maashaven. The quay is lit; the last stretch is cobbled.
Fig. 9 — The Koelhuis from the quay, 23:40. The red light means we are open.
Metro
D or E to Maashaven, 4 min walk
Tram
20 or 23, stop Maashaven
Water taxi
Stop Maashaven, runs till 00:30
Bike
Racks on the dock, covered
Car
No parking at the door. P+R Kralingse Zoom, then metro
Low light, no steps.
The building is dark on purpose, never difficult on purpose. Tell the desk what you need and we will change the room, not the visitor.
Getting around
Entrance
Step-free via the dock, automatic door
Lift
To R4 and R5, 140 × 110 cm
Toilets
Accessible toilet by the desk
Seating
Folding stools at the desk; a bench in every room
Dogs
Assistance dogs welcome everywhere
Light and sound
Lit hour
Wednesdays 16:00 – 18:00, Room 2 at 30 lux
Torches
Wide-beam torches on request
Sound
R3 has a constant low tone; ear defenders at the desk
Description
Audio description in Room 2 on request
Companion
Companions go free, no proof needed
Books, editions, a drink.
Neither needs a ticket. Both close when the galleries do.
R5 · Reading room
Bookshop and editions
Catalogues from every show, Nachtboek Press, and editions signed by the artists we show. Read anything for as long as you like; the desk will post what you buy.
Wed – Sun · gallery hours
Dock · Bar
The loading dock
A bar on the old loading dock, facing the water. Beer brewed across the river, natural wine by the glass, coffee until 18:00, toasties until late.
Fri 21:00 – 02:00 · Sat 16:00 – 00:00
Asked most nights.
01
Is it really dark?
Room 1 is lit like any gallery. Room 2 is kept at 3 lux and you are handed a torch at the door; your eyes adjust in about four minutes. The rest of the building is dim, never pitch black.
02
Can I take photos?
Yes, without flash. A flash in Room 2 undoes everyone else’s four minutes.
03
Is it suitable for children?
Yes, and under-18s go free. Room 2 can feel intense for small children; the desk will walk you through first if you ask.
04
Can I bring a coat and bag?
Lockers by the desk take a large backpack, free with a €1 coin. R3 is cold: keep your coat on.
05
How long does a visit take?
About an hour for the ground floor, plus whatever you spend on the dock. On Late Fridays people tend to stay.
06
Can I hire the building?
Sometimes, after hours. Write to events@afterhours.gallery with a date and a number.