CONVEX CITYSCAPE
MVRDV's new museum design in Rotterdam acts like a convex mirror for the dynamic cityscape.
In Rotterdam’s Museumpark, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum offers its complete collection of 151,000 objects to the public. In addition to the storage and care areas, the building also has a restaurant and a rooftop forest at a height of 35 meters.
The bowl-like form of the structure has a relatively small footprint, at the ground level that ensures existing views into and routes through the Museumpark remain unimpeded. On the upper levels, the reflective facade comprises 6,609 square meters of glass subdivided into 1,664 reflective panels. The building blends into its surroundings by reflecting it and establishing strong relationships with the park and the neighboring buildings.
With crisscrossing staircases the atrium functions as the backbone for the exhibition rooms. This atrium leads visitors to exhibition rooms and curators' studios, offering them a behind-the-scenes experience to learn how a museum maintains and cares for its art collection. Art is displayed throughout the building, beginning on the ground floor lobby and continuing along the entire route through the building, extending even to the rooftop restaurant.
Photography: © Ossip van Duivenbode, Rob Galastra