Monumentendag allows attendees to tour historic locations across the country that are typically closed to the public. The title is also a bit of a misnomer, since it actually takes place over the course of an entire weekend.
This year’s edition of the free event is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13.
Several of Delft’s most historic properties will be featured as well. Here’s three with close ties to TU Delft:
It took nearly 13 years for workers to construct this unique building, which was completed in 1895 and is currently being used by the DUWO Office of Student Housing. Designed by architect Jacobus van Lokhorst, the Gebouw voor Geodesie mixes neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance elements but the real draw is its rooftop observatory. It’s perched high atop a tower in the centre of the building and offers fantastic views of the city. It will be open to the public on Saturday for tours. However, space will be limited so you may want to arrive early. Another word of caution: reaching the observatory requires a climb up a steep iron staircase and there is no elevator on site.
Many students are probably familiar with this botanical facility. Botanische Tuin first opened in 1917 and it’s been used to raise plants for many of the university’s medical and chemistry projects since then. It’s now operated by the Faculty of Applied Sciences. Here you’ll find over six acres of greenhouses and gardens that are used to grow everything from spices to exotic tropical plants. Over the course of Monumentendag weekend, Botanische Tuin will also host a series of live musical performances featuring choirs in addition to the local jazz band Let’s Swing.
Lokhorst also designed this building and it once housed the department of Physics and Electrical Engineering. The Gebouw voor Natuurkunde’s sweeping gables and turrets were completed in 1903 and they’re still eye-catching. One of its lecture halls also contains a church-style window that gave professors and students enough light to read by back in the days when Delft still didn’t have electricity. A collection of historic hidden paintings was recently discovered in the building as well. It will be open for tours on Saturday.
You can find the entire schedule on Monumentendag’s website.
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