The Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen opened in 2021 as the world's first publicly accessible art storage facility, and it exists because the previous solution was alarming. The museum's cellars were too damp, perpetually leaking and full of asbestos. The fire department had formally refused to enter them in the event of a fire.
Architect Winy Maas was asked to solve the problem. His answer: a bowl-shaped building clad in 1,664 mirrors, 40 metres tall, housing over 150,000 works across six floors and 14 rooms at five different climate conditions. The shape was allegedly inspired by an IKEA Blanda Blank bowl on the table at an early design meeting. Locals call it the Bloempot, the flower pot.
VoiceMap's self-guided audio tours use the Depot to reveal what most museums keep hidden: artworks in open racks, conservators visible through glass, and a rooftop with views across the whole city.
Tours featuring Art Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (4)