Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Architect: OMA – Office for Metropolitan Architecture.

The Kunsthal in Rotterdam, designed by OMA in 1992, has reopened after an extensive renovation. The renovation was led by OMA partner Ellen van Loon, and OMA associates Michel van de Kar and Alex de Jong. The building has been upgraded in terms of energy, security, program, and circulation. The glass facades and roof are now fitted with high-performance insulation materials, and a new state-of-the-art climate system has been installed. The building’s security and operations have also been improved, and a second entrance has been added. Despite these changes, the original design concept has been preserved and often reinforced. The Kunsthal combines 3300 square meters of exhibition space, an auditorium, and a restaurant into one compact design. The building was conceived as a square crossed by two routes, and the challenge was to design a museum as four autonomous projects that would form a continuous spiral. The concept of the building is a continuous circuit. The pedestrian ramp is split, with a glass wall separating the outside, which is open to the public, from the inside, which is part of the circuit. A second ramp, running parallel and reversed, is terraced to accommodate an auditorium, and beneath it the restaurant. On the level where the two ramps cross, the main entrance is defined. From there, the visitor enters a second ramp which goes down to the park and up to the dike level. The Kunsthal’s position, wedged between a busy highway and the network of museums and green spaces known as the museum park, allows it to function as a gateway to Rotterdam’s most prized cultural amenities.

Photo credit: OMA, by Richard John Seymour.