mecanoo introduces transparent wing to museum boijmans van beuningen in rotterdam

mecanoo has presented its vision for a new, transparent wing for the museum boijmans van beuningen in rotterdam, the netherlands. the museum is already undergoing a big transformation, with its MVRDV-designed public art depot currently under construction and its existing wings under renovation. now, mecanoo has proposed the addition of a passage between the existing wings, designed by architects van der steur (1935) and bodon (1972).all images courtesy of mecanoo

mecanoo‘s addition seeks to transform the museum boijmans van beuningen into a beautifully clear complex with good logistics for both visitors and the back of house. its two existing wings by architects van der steur (1935, national monument) and bodon (1972, national monument in proceedings) are considered part of the museum’s collection. however, due to many renovations, the museum has become a maze over the years, with a difficult to find entrance, poor orientation for the public, and problematic logistics for the back of house. there is overdue maintenance and a lot of asbestos in challenging places, while boijmans has no front and the museum garden in the museum park feels like it is positioned at the rear.

the transparent passage meanders organically between the buildings of van der steur and bodon, linking the city to the park and vice versa. the passage starts on museumparkstraat as a horizontal and transparent element, creating a generous entrance and the new museum shop. the wing then fans out into a multifunctional foyer on the buitenhof site, welcoming visitors to the exhibition spaces in the bodon and van der steur wings and giving access to the buitenhof.

‘boijmans is transforming from introvert to extrovert, from closed to open, from a castle to a museum, where inside and outside intertwine,’ explains mecanoo. ‘it therefore feels natural and organic. it is precisely in contrast that it enters into a harmonious composition with the wings of van der steur and bodon.’

the addition creates a new museum park entrance with the introduction of a park pavilion in the current parking lot of the villas on the westersingel. this park pavilion will have a partly double-height exhibition space, where visitors will be able to experience the art from the public passage above without a ticket. as such, the museum will gain a diverse range of spaces in its total complex: round, oval, rectangular, organic with various heights and with different forms of daylight. with the new passage, there’s even the possibility of a sensory experience: artists can design temporary installations where a play with light, sound and even smell is possible. the park pavilion also houses the restaurant with a view over the museum garden.

the firm’s restoration vision, developed in collaboration with BBM, listens to the logic of the building with optimal anchoring in the context, respecting and restoring the ideas of bodon and van der steur. in terms of logistics, the new vision enables a clear and safe approach route via the westersingel, out of sight of the visitors. via a central address for all logistics flows, a new logistics axis is made at the basement level of bodon. the landscape design at ground level will be incorporated in such a way that the logistics intervention will go unnoticed.

mecanoo is also planning on transforming the museum garden with sustainable components: more water, more nature and more biodiversity. ‘in a contemporary city park, users and visitors want to be able to move, relax, play and meet,’ the dutch firm notes. ‘there are facilities for this, such as a park pond with fountains, seating and play elements that connect the museum garden with the park. it is logical and beautiful to connect the sculpture route of the westersingel via a passage between the villas to the museum park. this has been a longstanding desire of rotterdam urban planners, which can now become a reality.’