See what a museum usually keeps away.
Most visitors meet a museum through a selection on its walls. Rotterdam’s Depot lets you look at the storage, care and organisation behind that selection.
NL NetherlandsIn practice. Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen opened in Rotterdam in 2021 as a publicly accessible art storage building designed by MVRDV.
What to keep in view
Public access does not mean unrestricted entry to every store or artwork. Some areas require guided visits and conservation conditions govern access.
Follow the needs of the object
Opened in 2021, MVRDV’s Depot stores the Boijmans Van Beuningen collection in fourteen compartments. Paintings, metal, organic materials and photography have different storage requirements. Stable temperature and humidity are part of the building’s daily work.
From the circulation route, visitors see racks, cabinets and works from angles a conventional exhibition rarely offers. A guided visit can also take people into a storage compartment. Public access does not mean unrestricted handling or entry to every room.
An encounter with the backstage
The change is in what becomes visible. Instead of presenting only a finished curatorial argument, the building also exposes the practical responsibility of keeping a collection.
Look at how objects are grouped and protected, as well as at the objects themselves. The mirrored exterior may be the image you recognise; the unfamiliar experience is seeing art waiting, being cared for, and occupying space beyond an exhibition wall.
Start with the museum’s Depot information and ticket links. Access to a storage compartment is guided; check the options when planning your visit.
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