The brand new Boijmans Van Beuningen depot, designed by MVRDV architects, is the first art depot in the world and is located in Rotterdam.
Usually, most international museums show only six to seven percent of their collections to the public at any one time. The rest are often off-site and hidden from view, crammed into closed warehouses.
The Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen is the first art depot in the world. The builders have made 99% of the building accessible to the public and the entire collection of the nearby Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (around 151.000 artifacts) is available for viewing.
The structure was built in the shape of a cone, 39.5 m high, has a diameter of 40 m at the bottom and 60 m at the top and its cantilevered part has no direct supports. In addition, the openings, including the entrance for visitors and the entrance and exit for exhibitions, create weak points on the ground floor.
So the design had to guarantee a design capable of withstanding the high load from above.
The solution to give stability and security to the building lies in the foundations. They built the first two floors in cast-in-situ concrete, which acts as a structurally solid plinth on which to build the remaining four floors of the building
The structure in addition to the decidedly unusual shape has the entire facade covered with 1.664 mirrored glass panels.
The structure, whose façade measures 6.609 square meters, seems to multiply the green scenery of the surrounding Museumpark.
Different types of glass were used to cover the facade: standard reflective glass, film coated reflective glass, clear glass for workspaces and gradient glass.
To ensure energy efficiency, MVRDV has installed underground thermal accumulations for air conditioning, solar panels, LED lighting and high-performance insulation. Rainwater is stored for irrigation and sanitation, while the residual water is channeled to a nearby pond (belonging to the Het Nieuw Instituut), which will be converted into a reservoir for the environment.
The atrium occupies the central space on all floors and its crossed stairways lead visitors through various public areas, up to the roof. Each atrium staircase will have a landing in the exact center of the building, allowing visitors a panoramic view from the heart of the warehouse.
An architectural marvel and a landmark for the city of Rotterdam. The Depot marks a new wave of urban development in Europe's largest port.
Source: https://buildingcue.it/
