Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen has a unique international collection. Boijmans considers the wings of the architects Van der Steur (1935, national monument) and Bodon (1972, national monument in proceedings) as part of the collection. Both wings are restored to their original strength and with the addition of the Mecanoo wing, the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen ensemble is transformed into a beautifully clear complex with good logistics for both visitors and the back of house. The Museum Garden is also undergoing a metamorphosis.
Over the years, the museum has become a maze due to the many renovations. The entrance is difficult to find, the public has poor orientation and gets lost. The logistics of the back of house have always been very problematic. There is overdue maintenance and a lot of asbestos in challenging places. Boijmans has no front and the Museum Garden in the Museum Park feels like it is positioned at the rear.
Mecanoo introduces a transparent passage, meandering organically between the buildings of Van der Steur and Bodon. A public passage from city to park and from park to city. Boijmans is transforming from introvert to extrovert, from closed to open, from a castle to a museum, where inside and outside intertwine. It therefore feels natural and organic. It is precisely in contrast that it enters into a harmonious composition with the wings of Van der Steur and Bodon.
The Mecanoo passage creates a new Museum Park entrance with the introduction of a Park Pavilion in the current parking lot of the villas on the Westersingel. This Park Pavilion will have a partly double-height exhibition space. It is a new experience for visitors: from above you can experience art from the public passage without a ticket. The Park Pavilion also houses the restaurant with a view over the Museum garden.
The ideas of Bodon and Van der Steur are respected, restored and if possible even strengthened. A number of surgical interventions are needed to make the museum accessible to all target groups and to improve the logistics of the back of house. The foundations and basements from the expansion of Robbrecht and Daem in 2003 are re-used. This makes the Bodon and Van der Steur wings visible again, making walking routes clear and logical.
The new Boijmans is a catalyst for a stronger connection and cooperation with the surrounding institutions in the Museum Park: Depot, Nieuwe Instituut, Kunsthal, Natural History, Chabot Museum and Arminius. With its Museumpark, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen will become a place for people of Rotterdam and visitors to the city. This is how Rotterdam presents its culture park at an international level. With the renewed Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen as a central player and in the role of connector.
