The storage facility resembles a bowl in shape. Due to its small base, it does not block pedestrian views of the Museum Park: it was built at the entrance to it from the west. The reduced building footprint also made it easier for the building to coexist with the existing “buffer” underground rainwater reservoirs.
In general, the topic of aligning the building with the context was very important for the architects of MVRDV. We are talking about a large structure - 39.5 m high and with a total area of 15,000 m2 - in the prevailing environment. To blend in with the surroundings, a 6609 m2 mirrored glass façade (1,664 panels) was designed. As a result, as far as is possible in principle, the storage facility dissolves against the background of the sky, buildings and park, and the attention is attracted by the reflections of cars and people, but not by its impressive volume.
Inside, the main role is played by the atrium with diagonal staircases crossing it: glass showcases will be installed there for the curators selected as the most important exhibits. The rest of the space will be occupied by the storehouse itself, restoration workshops and other departments dedicated to the "care" of the collection, curators' studios. Visitors will not only enter the vault, but also the rest of the premises, that is, they will be able to learn about the daily life of the museum, usually unknown to non-specialists.
151,000 exhibits will be placed not according to the theme or type, region or era of creation: the main storage conditions they need, that is, temperature and humidity, will be the main thing. Therefore, the sections will be as follows: metal, plastic, organic objects, inorganic objects, photography.
A separate attraction is a roof with a birch grove and a restaurant. There have already been planted 75 mature multi-stemmed trees, which were specially grown in the nursery for this purpose. An express lift leads to the roof for those who are most interested in admiring the views of Rotterdam. But even in the restaurant they will be trapped by works of art: they are placed throughout the building, starting from the lobby.
The finished building was shown to the townspeople at the end of the weekend, but there is still interior decoration and a long movement of exhibits ahead. The reserve will open to visitors on September 1, 2021.
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Image 
zooming 1/6 Repository of the Boijmans Museum - van Beuningen Photo © Ossip van Duivenbode
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zooming 2/6 Repository of the Boijmans Museum - van Beuningen Photo © Ossip van Duivenbode
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zooming 3/6 Repository of the Boijmans-van Beuningen Museum Photo © Ossip van Duivenbode
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zooming 4/6 Repository of the Boijmans Museum - van Beuningen Photo © Ossip van Duivenbode
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zooming 5/6 Repository of the Boijmans Museum - van Beuningen Photo © Ossip van Duivenbode
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zooming 6/6 Repository of the Boijmans Museum - van Beuningen Photo © Ossip van Duivenbode
