ROTTERDAM.- Wednesday 8 April saw the installation of 75 trees on the roof garden of Rotterdam’s Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility, designed by MVRDV.

Over the next two weeks, the contractor in charge of building the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Royal BAM Group, will finish construction of the garden. A special crane was used to lift 75 birch trees onto the 35-meter-high roof of the building, where they were planted in a roof garden with adjacent restaurant and spectacular views of the city.

Tough little rascals
The tree that has been selected is the downy birch (Betula pubescens), a soft birch that grows up to ten meters in height and is resistant to the weather conditions on the roof. The trees are between ten and fifteen years old and have been acclimatised to an elevated situation over the past three years. A special watering system will ensure that the trees are never dry. Aftercare will be provided by a specialist arborist who will regularly monitor the trees for vitality, health and moisture management. How long the trees will live depends on a variety of factors, including weather conditions. The vast majority of these strong specimens from a pioneer species – which need very little to survive – are expected to live for several decades. The nurseryman in Limburg who grows the trees refers to them as ‘tough little rascals’.

Green environment
Rotterdam City Council will soon begin landscaping the Museumpark and the area on its northern edge. The area will have a natural stone pavement and numerous planters and trees. In addition, the ponds around Het Nieuwe Instituut and the event deck will also be redesigned.

More than 151,000 artworks
Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen will house more than 151,000 works of art from the collection of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. In addition, there are also spaces in the building for private and corporate collections. The brand new depot is expected to open its doors to the public in September 2021. During the Open Depot Days on 25, 26 and 27 September 2020, Rotterdammers will be able to visit the empty architectural icon before the major relocation of artworks begins.