The first decades saw the purchase of existing buildings and extensions being added to them. From 1894 onwards, various new buildings were constructed at the south-eastern edge of the city centre and the nearby Wippolder for the Polytechnic School as it was then. Most of the buildings dating from the period up to the Second World War have been sold off, including to the DUWO student housing organisation.

The Botanical Garden and the Red Chemistry building where the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment is now housed are examples of pre-war premises and terrains still owned by TU Delft.

After the Second World War, the adjoining area in the Zuidpolder was developed from scratch becoming the TH wijk (TH area). Around 1960, the campus was further extended to the present TU Delft South site where the reactor building and the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering building were opened in 1963.

The central government owned all university buildings up to 1995 when it transferred ownership of all the real estate to the universities. From that time on, universities have themselves been responsible for developing campuses and for real estate.

Since then, the dynamics at TU Delft have led to the sale and demolition, modification and conversion of many buildings and sites developed for the university. TU Delft has also constructed several new buildings since 1995. Many architects have designed buildings and spaces on campus commissioned by both central government and TU Delft.

Read more about TU Delft’s history in the report ‘Cultuurhistorisch onderzoek TU Delft‘ by Steenhuis Meurs (in Dutch).