Call for the international architectural competition for the National Slavery Museum

Call for the international architectural competition for the National Slavery Museum 

The City of Amsterdam has launched an international architectural competition for the design of the National Slavery Museum, in partnership with the National Slavery Museum Foundation.

Design teams from the Netherlands and around the world are invited to develop a vision for a museum building and park at Kop van Java-eiland, the western tip of an island in a former dockland area of central Amsterdam.

Deputy Mayor Touria Meliani (responsible for Arts and Culture) said: ‘The National Slavery Museum will be a place for meeting, reflection and connection. A museum that tells the underrepresented story of the transatlantic and Indian Ocean histories of slavery and how they continue to shape the present. We are thus working together to build a shared future and a place where everyone is welcome to learn, commemorate and come together. With an international architectural competition, we are inviting designers from all over the world to help shape this meaningful place.’

Call for design teams

The City of Amsterdam is seeking a design team comprising an architect, a landscape architect, and one or more subject-matter experts specialising in the Dutch history of slavery. At a later stage, a delivery team will be selected to develop the detailed technical design and bring the project to completion. Collaborations between established practices and emerging designers are explicitly encouraged.

The design for the building and park must do justice to the historical significance of slavery, the significance of the site itself, and the role of the museum as a public place for meeting and exchange.

Representation and multiple voices The museum has a broad societal character. In assessing submissions, particular attention will be paid to how the design reflects diverse perspectives, representation and inclusivity.

John Leerdam, director of the National Slavery Museum Foundation, said: ‘The National Slavery Museum has long been a cherished ambition. It will be a place for commemoration, connection and healing. A place of hope. For ourselves, and for the generations who come after us. This is a story that concerns us all – throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands in both Europe and the Caribbean, and far beyond.’

Registration Phase 1
Registration for the competition opens on Thursday 12 February 2026 (CET). Registrations may be submitted up to and including Tuesday 7 April 12:00 CET.  via: https://www.amsterdam.nl/competition-national-slaverymuseum/

Questions can be asked untill the 2nd of March. And there is no submission deadline yet (although it's mentioned here above). Deadline of 7th of April is for registrations phase 1. 

This webpage also contains further information about the competition procedure. The development of the museum is co-funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.