MVRDV designs reflective public art depot for rotterdam

dutch practice MVRDV has won a competition to construct an art depot for the museum boijmans van beuningen (MBVB) in rotterdam. the project, entitled ‘the collection building’, which will form part of the city’s museumpark, will be completed in 2017. housed inside a reflective rounded volume, the 15,000 square meter program features public and private exhibition halls, a rooftop sculpture garden and a restaurant. the project allows local, national and international visitors to see the inner workings of a gallery, while private collectors will be able to store and view their own works within an ideal display environment.

the project forms an important part of rotterdam’s museumpark development
image by MVRDV / antonio coco (also main image) | all images courtesy of MVRDV

located at the northern edge of the park, the design is envisioned as a compact volume, clad with a glazed façade, with a minimal footprint. the mirrored structure will make the building less visible, and allow the public to see what is happening elsewhere. where needed, the reflection will be reduced in order to avoid unwanted light effects. internally, a primary circulation route winds its way through internal volumes adjoining the lobby on the ground floor with the rooftop sculpture park. connecting the scheme, the path passes through art depots and restoration workshops. the exhibition can be changed daily by moving storage racks so that each visit to the complex yields a new and unique experience. on three floors the route passes through gallery space which will be programmed by museum boijmans van beuningen.

the partly transparent façade reflects the surrounding area
image by MVRDV / antonio coco

‘a public art depot is a new phenomenon to the netherlands, normally these depots are hidden in the periphery of cities. it is a bold initiative which will raise the attention of the international museum circles. it offers space to museum boijmans van beuningen and will help it to strengthen its international profile,’ explained winy maas, one of MVRDV‘s founding members.

the building facilitates the ideal conditions for art storage, office space and public occupation
image by MVRDV / antonio coco

the rooftop sculpture park provides views across rotterdam
image by MVRDV / antonio coco

the roof terrace also comprises exhibition space and a public restaurant
image by MVRDV / antonio coco

the scheme allows local, national and international visitors to see the inner workings of a gallery
image by MVRDV / antonio coco

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project info:

location: rotterdam, netherlands
client: museum boijmans van beuningen, de verre bergen foundation, the city of rotterdam
program: 15,000 sqm art depot with restoration facilities, exhibition spaces, offices, logistics, bar, restaurant, sculpture garden and private collectors facilities
budget: total investment 50 million euro
sustainability: BREEAM excellent (goal)
team: winy maas, jacob van rijs, nathalie de vries with fokke moerel and sanne van der burgh, marta pozo gil, gerard heerink, elien deceuninck, saimon gomez idiakez
images: MVRDV – antonio coco
structure: pieters bouwtechniek
cost engineering: IGG consultants
installations: DGMR consultants
legal project: richard jan roks, kennedy van der laan, amsterdam, with jan knikker, fokke moerel