With the final design for the renovation of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Gemeente Rotterdam, the museum, and Mecanoo take an important step towards the future of a Rotterdam icon. Now presented to the city council, the project enters its next phase.
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam hosts a unique international art collection—with works ranging from the early Middle Ages to contemporary art—all housed within a museum complex with national heritage status. The building wings designed by architects Van der Steur (1935), Bodon (1972), and Henket (1991) are all listed monuments. However, due to numerous renovations over the years, the complex had become a maze. The entrance was difficult to find, visitors struggled with orientation, and the buildings were difficult to navigate due to many level changes. Loading and unloading artworks safely also presented challenges. Since May 2019, the museum has been closed due to fire risk, water issues, overdue maintenance, and the presence of substantial asbestos. Mecanoo was selected in 2020 to lead the restoration and renovation of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen supporting its mission to open itself up to a broad and diverse public, both towards the city and Museum Park. Furthermore, the museum seeks to meet the current standards of a world-class institution, optimally presenting its renowned collection with a welcoming entrance, clear circulation for visitors, and significantly improved logistics.
To restore and highlight the original strength of the Bodon and Van der Steur buildings, the 2003 addition by Robbrecht & Daem will be largely removed. This will enable an optimal solution for logistics, allowing the safe delivery and dispatch of artworks and goods. The basement and part of the concrete structure of the Robbrecht & Daem volume will be retained and reused. The Van der Steur wing has a classical museum atmosphere that will be meticulously restored, paired with efforts to make its many level changes more accessible. Meanwhile, the Bodon wing brings a modern museum feel to the complex. Restoration of its large windows featuring city views will return the wing’s original sense of space and light. The Van Beuningen-De Vriese Pavilion by Henket, distinguished by its high-tech and transparent design, will become a restaurant, designed like a garden pavilion within the redesigned sculpture garden. All three buildings will be made as sustainable as possible.
A museum ensemble
The three heritage buildings, together with Mecanoo’s additions, form the new Boijmans Van Beuningen museum ensemble. Logically placed, the main entrance will be at the heart of the museum. Visitors will arrive at the Buitenhof (outer courtyard) through the original Van der Steur gate. Three façades of Van der Steur’s distinctive brickwork frame the courtyard, while a new transparent fourth façade called the ‘Connector’ has been added. This courtyard seamlessly links the Bodon and Van der Steur wings and serves as an orientation and resting place for visitors. The Buitenhof is conceived as an open-air exhibition space, bringing flexibility to programming by the museum’s curators. At its centre lies the Rotunda: a sunken circular patio that brings daylight down into the subterranean entrance hall. A generous, elegant staircase leads visitors down to the entrance, with the option to take a glass lift. This new underground entrance area houses the information desk, museum shop, lockers, and toilets. From here, visitors can access the Connector and the Bodon wing, which will primarily house temporary exhibitions. The “Hollandse Trap” (historic Dutch Staircase) continues into the entrance hall, providing direct access to the Van der Steur wing, which will mainly display the permanent collection. A new lift will be added here to connect the five different levels in this part of the building. The beautiful circular staircase at Van der Steur’s original entrance will also be extended down to the new entrance hall, seamlessly connecting old and new.
Covered courtyard
The Binnenhof (inner courtyard) of the Van der Steur wing will be covered, enabling improved energy efficiency without compromising the integrity of the original walls. It also provides the museum with a new, spacious room that can be used to support a wide range of functions. Design features include a new acoustic floor and a refined glass roof with a distinctive pattern, inspired by a dome in the Van der Steur wing. The courtyard’s varied levels will create informal seating areas for visitors.
Garden pavilion as restaurant
The former Van Beuningen-De Vriese Pavilion will be transformed into a restaurant with views over the sculpture garden and reflecting pool. Stairs and lifts in the restaurant will be framed by a display reminiscent of a storage depot, showcasing the ceramics and household items once stored in the pavilion’s basement. The basement will now house the kitchen, storage, and toilets. The restaurant will feature a thoughtfully designed, sheltered outdoor terrace and will also be accessible outside museum opening hours via the existing gate on the Melkkoppad pathway.
The silent, essential engine of the museum
The logistics related to art, goods, catering, and waste function as the silent yet essential engine of the museum. Loading and unloading have been discreetly placed on the east side of the complex, where the Robbrecht & Daem addition previously stood. A recessed volume houses the museum workshop on the first floor, above the loading dock. Upon entry, the flows of art, goods, and waste are immediately separated and directed along dedicated routes, which pass through a sunken facilities centre on the south side of the Bodon wing and remain entirely out of public view.
Emerging artists
An inviting, accessible non-climate-controlled space will be created for emerging artists on the corner of the Westersingel. This two-storey exhibition space will feature beautifully crafted brickwork that echoes the Bodon and Van der Steur buildings, reinforcing the identity of the museum complex as a cohesive whole.
Museum of the future
For Rotterdam residents and visitors to the city alike, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and its sculpture garden will become a place where people of all generations and cultural backgrounds feel welcome. With a dynamic programme, the museum will offer continuous reasons to return. From monumental and temporary artworks to informal street art, pop-ups and events, Rotterdam proudly presents its renewed Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.