Rotterdam, The Netherlands

 “Our ambition was to give the Museumpark a new dimension and to bring different target groups, from schoolchildren to Feyenoord fans, into contact with the Boijmans collection in an innovative way. We hope to have added a new work of art to Rotterdam’s already rich architecture collection,” states MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas.

Led by Winy Maas, the MVRDV design team’s new Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen is a round, sturdy, functional building that does not turn its back on its neighbors, instead of establishing a new relationship with both the Museumpark and the city of Rotterdam.

The mirrored façade, consisting of 6,609m2 of glass divided into 1,664 panels, ensures that the building visually blends into its surroundings

Every day–depending on weather conditions–the depot looks different, like a living work of art.

The opening marks the conclusion of almost a decade of work: MVRDV won the design competition in 2013, with construction starting in 2017. 

The Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen is the first publicly accessible art storage facility in the world. 

MVRDV designed a building that would be as inviting as possible, where all different target groups would feel welcome. 

It was emphatically not to become a second museum, where only a small percentage of the collection can be exhibited, but an engine room that reveals the world behind the storage and maintenance of a dazzling number of art and design works. 

The depot owes its shape to the desire to give the building a relatively small footprint. 

As a result, the building takes up less space in the park but curves upwards with a 10-meter overhang to accommodate the entire program–storage spaces, restoration studios, catering facilities, and film and presentation rooms. 

The building has five climate zones to accommodate the most delicate art, from prints and paintings to photography.

The large entrance doors merge into the façade and only become visible during opening hours when the façade opens up.

Inside, the most eye-catching part of the building is the atrium, with its crisscrossing staircases and windows into the storage spaces that give the impression of a panopticon, with a view of the art from all sides. 

Thirteen large display cases ensure that the visitor comes into contact with a collage of collection pieces as soon as they enter the building. 

For the interior, there was close cooperation with a number of artists: John Körmeling designed the entrance and Marieke van Diemen designed the display cases. Outside, Pipilotti Rist designed a light installation that makes the depot come alive at night.

Visiting the depot offers a completely new experience: the art is arranged according to size and climate requirements, not art history periods. 

Old and contemporary works are juxtaposed, inviting new connections to be made.

The ambition was to create a building that seems to disappear into its surroundings, but at the same time is a safe house for the collection, which is worth billions.

At the depot, everything revolves around the interaction between the visitors and more than 151,000 works that are stored in the various depositories. Visitors can–alone or in groups–take guided tours through the air-conditioned storage spaces or enjoy the rooftop forest and restaurant Renilde, both at a height of 35 meters.

The depot is also an experiment in adding nature to the city. 

This takes place in the form of the 35- meter-high rooftop forest, which was awarded the prize for the best Dutch roof even before it opened. 

The 75 birches, grasses, and 20 pines placed on the roof help retain water promote biodiversity, and reduce heat stress in the city. 

The trees for this project were prepared for their new home for three years in a nursery. 

Their roots are interconnected and, because the windbreak and the cross-shaped restaurant on the roof protect the birches from strong winds, they will be able to withstand stormy weather even at a height of 35 meters.

“I think it’s great to see how the depot has been embraced by Rotterdammers even before it opened,”concludes Maas.

“The depot is a building that makes many people happy; skaters have their own place outside that will hopefully stay, while passers-by try to figure out the best place to stand to take a good selfie. As an architect, I hope that visitors will soon enjoy the interior, the rooftop forest, and the experience of being in direct contact with the art without the mediation of a curator.”

Project: Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen
Architects: MVRDV
Principal in Charge: Winy Maas
Partner: Fokke Moerel
Project Team: Sanne Van der Burgh, Arjen Ketting, Fedor Bron, Gerard Heerink, Elien Deceuninck, Jason Slabbynck, Rico Van De Gevel, Marjolein Marijnissen, and Remco De Haan
Competition Team: Sanne Van der Burgh, Marta Pozo, Gerard Heerink, Elien Deceuninck, Saimon Gomez Idiakez, Jose Ignacio Velasco Martin, Jason Slabbynck, Mariya Gyaurova, and Lukasz Brzozowski
Strategy & Development: Jan Knikker and Irene Start
General Contractor: BAM Bouw en Techniek
Landscape Architect: MTD Landschap Architecten
Client: Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, De Verre Bergen Foundation, and Municipality of Rotterdam
Photographers: Ossip van Duivenbode, Iris van den Broeke, and AAD Hoogendoorn