Rotterdam, The Netherlands

For the new Harbour Experience Centre, Dutch architects Winy Maas and Fokke Moerel at MVRDV stacked five rotated exhibition spaces for the new visitor centre for the Port of Rotterdam.

The Harbour Experience Centre is the successor to FutureLand, a temporary information centre that opened in 2009, during the construction of the second artificial extension of the Port of Rotterdam known as the Maasvlakte 2.

The success of FutureLand prompted the creation of a more complete information centre with a larger, permanent exhibition to teach people about Europe’s largest port.

The Harbour Experience Centre thus brings the visitor centre to a more prominent location on the beach, creating a beacon that is visible from all around.

The building takes a practical, no-nonsense approach to its task, channelling the spirit of the port with its simple functionality, dramatic presence, and industrial materials.

The shape of the building is a direct response to the activities taking place inside and out: Each floor is square in plan and has a large panorama window that frames a view, which together give an overview of the buzzing harbour.

The orientation of each floor, and the direction its main window faces, corresponds to its function: on the ground floor café, this window faces westward for views of the dunes and the North Sea, while diners in the fourth floor restaurant can enjoy views on both the North Sea and the twinkling lights of the harbour in the evening.

The permanent exhibition, designed by Kossmanndejong, is spread over the three levels in between.

In the exhibition, each level addresses a different theme, and the panorama windows are focused on elements within the port that enhance the content of the exhibition.

At the centre of the building is a large atrium that functions as an exhibition space in its own right.

An explanatory kinetic sculpture will hang in its centre, with the model of the Port of Rotterdam underfoot.

This impressive space is emphasised by the entrance from the ground floor, with a rotating door concealing the exhibition behind it until visitors enter the voluminous heart of the building.

Visitors can also ascend the building without a ticket on the outside, with staircases providing a route up the various terraces to the rooftop. Along the way, showcase windows offer a preview of the exhibition inside to entice visitors inside.

Architects: MVRDV
Design Team: Winy Maas, Fokke Moerel, Magdalena Dzambo, Arjen Ketting, Klaas Hofman, Pim Bangert, Jonathan Schuster, Samuel Delgado, Duong Hong Vu, Monica di Salvo, Efthymia Papadima, Luis Druschke and Maximilian Semmelrock
Exhibition Designers: Kossmanndejong
Structural Engineers: Van Rossum
Client: Port of Rotterdam