Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Architect: MVRDV.

The world’s first openly accessible art storage facility is located at Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen. The goal was to create a facility that would be as hospitable as possible and make all of the target audiences feel welcome. It was categorically not intended to turn into a second museum, where only a small portion of the collection could be displayed, but rather into an engine room that reveals the world behind the storage and upkeep of a staggering number of works of art and design. The depot gives a completely unique experience because the art is grouped in accordance with size and temperature conditions rather than specific periods of art history.

The MVRDV design team, lead by Winy Maas, an architect and urban planner, opted for a spherical, solid, and practical structure that does not ignore its neighbours but instead forges new ties with both the Museumpark and the city of Rotterdam. The goal was to develop a structure that blends in with its surroundings while serving as a safe haven for the collection, which is valued at billions of dollars. The depot’s design is a result of the intention to keep the building’s footprint as compact as possible. The building arcs upward with a 10-metre overhang to accommodate the complete program—storage spaces, restoration studios, culinary facilities, and film and presentation rooms—while also taking up less space in the park.