Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen

Museums show a small fraction of what they own and keep the rest in stores nobody sees; the Depot, opened in 2021 in the Rotterdam Museumpark, was built to invert that. It is a bowl-shaped building by MVRDV clad entirely in mirrored glass - reflecting the park, the sky and the surrounding buildings, so it disappears and dominates at the same time - and inside it holds the whole reserve collection of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, about a hundred and fifty thousand objects, in climate zones with the racks, crates and conservation studios visible from walkways and glass lifts. It is the first publicly accessible art depot of this kind in the world. Visitors see storage rather than a curated display, which is the point and which some find unsatisfying. There is a rooftop garden with birch trees and a restaurant. The main museum beside it has been closed for renovation for years.

History

The idea of an open art depot had circulated since 2007, and a flood in the museum's old storage in 2013 gave it urgency: only 6 to 8% of its more than 150,000 works could be shown at any time. Director Sjarel Ex pursued a building where the rest could be seen, and on 5 November 2015 Rotterdam's council approved the change to the Museum Park plan (Wikipedia, Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen).

What's there

• A mirrored bowl - MVRDV's building reflecting the park and sky around it.
• A hundred and fifty thousand objects - the whole reserve collection, visible in store.
• Racks, crates and studios - conservation work seen from walkways and glass lifts.
• A rooftop birch garden - on top of the bowl with a view over Rotterdam.

When to go

All year. Half a day.

Things to know

This is storage, not an exhibition - there is no narrative and no curation, which disappoints visitors expecting a gallery. The main Boijmans museum next door has been shut for renovation for years. Timed tickets.

Nearby

Het Nieuwe Instituut and the Kunsthal are in the same park.

Key facts