MVRDV's depot boijmans van beuningen set to open this saturday

depot boijmans van beuningen, A NEW WAY TO EXPERIENCE ART

almost 10 years since MVRDV first won the competition to design rotterdam‘s depot boijmans van beuningen in 2013, the world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility is ready to open its doors this saturday, november 6th, 2021.

from 10am on saturday, visitors can take a look around the 151,000 artworks that are stored in five different climate zones, or enjoy views of the city from the rooftop forest and restaurant renilde. to mark the completion of the mirror-clad building, king willem-alexander of the netherlands will perform the opening ceremony on friday, november 5th.

image © ossip van duivenbode (also main image)

designed with a minimal footprint and ‘to be as inviting as possible’, depot boijmans van beuningen is articulated by a round, bowl-like form that curves upwards with a 10-meter overhang. the façade is covered in 1,664 mirrored glass panels to make the building disappear into its surroundings. the large entrance doors merge into the façade and only become visible during opening hours.

once inside, visitors will find a large atrium with crisscrossing staircases. the artwork is stored according to size and climate requirements, not art history periods, meaning visitors can experience the juxtaposition of old and contemporary pieces. in addition to the art storage spaces, the program also contains restoration studios, catering facilities, and film and presentation rooms across the seven storeys.

image © ossip van duivenbode

windows from the atrium into the storage spaces give the impression of a panopticon, with a view of the art from all sides. thirteen large display cases ensure that visitors 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.

the 35-meter-high rooftop forest comprises 75 birches, grasses and 20 pines to 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.

image © ossip van duivenbode

‘I think it’s great to see how the depot has been embraced by rotterdammers even before it opened’, says MVRDV founding partner winy maas. ‘the depot is a building that makes many people happy; skaters have their own place outside that will hopefully stay, while passersby 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. 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.’

image © iris van den broeke

‘a good house is of vital importance. if you don’t have one, you are already playing in the second division. with the depot boijmans van beuningen, the amazing collection finally gets its own architecture’, say sjarel ex and ina klaassen, the directors of the museum boijmans van beuningen. ‘only then do you see how the functioning of the art storage impacts the museum. with the depot, the museum is giving its collection, which is largely owned by the municipality but also largely by private individuals, a permanent future. visitors can now see for themselves the love, care, and attention to detail with which each individual work of art is preserved for future generations. the museum, the public, and rotterdammers are going to have a lot of fun with the depot.’

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image © iris van den broeke

‘the already iconic depot boijmans van beuningen is a wonderful asset to rotterdam’, says said kasmi, rotterdam’s alderman for education, culture and tourism. ‘the versatility of the building appeals to me: it is both a place to wander between a lot of great art, and a place to enjoy special architecture, whether you are outside or inside. add to that roof restaurant renilde, a wonderful place to enjoy a culinary highlight with a spectacular view over our city. finally, it is a place where future makers and conservators – the children and students of today – can become fascinated by the creation, conservation, and restoration of art. we have a new crowd-pleaser. that makes me a proud rotterdammer!’

see designboom’s previous coverage of depot boijmans van beuningen here.

image © iris van den broeke

image © ossip van duivenbode

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image © ossip van duivenbode

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image © ossip van duivenbode

project info:

name: depot boijmans van beuningen

location: rotterdam, netherlands

year: 2021

client: museum boijmans van beuningen, de verre bergen foundation, municipality of rotterdam

size and program: 15,000sqm – accessible storage facility for art and design, restaurant, public space

architecture: 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, 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, lukasz brzozowski

strategy & development: jan knikker, irene start
visualization: antonio luca coco, matteo artico, carlo cattó
copyright: MVRDV 2021 – (winy maas, jacob van rijs, nathalie de vries, frans de witte, fokke moerel, wenchian shi, jan knikker)

partners:
contractor: BAM bouw en techniek

structure: IMd raadgevend ingenieurs

cost engineering: BBN
installations: RHDHV
façade consultants: ABT
building physics: peutz
landscape architect: MTD landschap architecten
restaurant designer: concrete
art collaborations: john körmeling (lobby), marieke van diemen (atrium), pipilotti rist (exterior light show)
photographs: © ossip van duivenbode, © aad hoogendoorn, © iris van den broeke