MVRDV's 29-meter-tall pink podium opens for summer in rotterdam

MVRDV and the second layer of the city

One week on from the launch of its bright orange Rotterdam Rooftop Walk, the architects at MVRDV continue their exploration of unused roof space with the official opening of The Podium. Located atop Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam, the 29-meter-tall platform makes the roof of the museum accessible to the public via a 143-step external staircase. 

‘We want to bring more attention to this second layer of the city with color and special installations: if we make it greener, more sustainable, and more connected, the city will become more liveable for everyone,’ comments architect Gijs Rikken, associate design director at MVRDV.

Painted in an unmissable hot pink, the 600 sqm rooftop space forms the heart of Rotterdam Architecture Month throughout June. Visitors will be able to enjoy views of city’s urban fabric, including the mirrored Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen also designed by MVRDV. In July and August, The Podium will host events such as jazz concerts and yoga classes. Various activities will also be organized for children, including a summer camp.

image © Ossip Van Duivenbode

The pink podium came about as a way to draw attention to an exhibition of MVRDV’s work that’s currently on show in the top floor of Het Nieuwe Instituut. Due to work being conducted on the public space outside the museum, the main entrance is currently less visible and accessible, so the architects came up with the idea to create an alternative access route via a large outdoor staircase.

The designers were inspired by the panoramic view from the roof of Het Nieuwe Instituut, and by the building’s design by Jo Coenen, with its characteristic pergola. In order to produce The Podium as sustainably as possible, scaffolding material and recyclable floor finishes were specified. The rooftop is accessible via the outside staircase and via the exhibition in the floor below. It’s also accessible by elevator or via the internal access of the museum for visitors who cannot use the stairs.

image © Ossip Van Duivenbode

‘The installation fits with a tradition that MVRDV has built up in the programming of the rooftop landscape,’ adds Rikken. ‘In Rotterdam it started in 2006 with the blue rooftop extension Didden Village, followed by the Stairs to Kriterion in 2016. This year we will enhance the rooftops with the orange Rooftop Walk and the pink Podium.’

The Podium is an initiative of Het Nieuwe Instituut in collaboration with, among others, Rotterdam Architecture Month. In June access to the ‘festival heart’ is free; the following months a ticket costs €3. For a visit to The Podium, it is mandatory to reserve a time slot via the museum website. 

See deisgnboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

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project info:

name: The Podium
location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands

client: Het Nieuwe Instituut

architecture: MVRDV
founding partner in charge: Winy Maas
design team: Gijs Rikken, Michele Tavola

size and program: 600 sqm – temporary public event space
year: 2022
photography: 
images: © MVRDV
copyright: MVRDV Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries