July 22: Rotterdam – Kunsthal

Our remaining stop was another Museum in the Museumpark: the Kunsthal, an art museum designed by Rem Koolhaas and opened in 1992.

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From NAi we proceeded along Melkkoppad (a suspiciously Finnic-looking word) in the Museumpark to get to the Kunsthal, passing by Boijmans Van Beuningen along the way.

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This side of the museum looks Nordic to me as well, a rather similar combination of blankness and dense rhythm as the Åhléns City in Stockholm, or even the Stadshuset.

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Major earthwork was happening on the other side of Melkkoppad. Another museum, mayhaps?

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The park itself, containing artworks of its own, is also a museum of sorts.

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A superimposition of duckies.

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C'mon gull, don't litter like that. You know better.

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No don't jump! Don't do it!

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The main circulation spine of the Kunsthal is this roofed but unwalled passage between the main volumes.

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The high-contrast bathroom hallway.

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There was an exhibition of tent/platform structures and I wish I could remember who their creator was, because I find them totally fascinating in retrospect — they were interesting to investigate at the time, but now they really strike a chord. If you know who this is, please let me know. UPDATE 12/16/13: Just happened upon the answer here: Dré Wapenaar! That's really exciting. Forgive me; I forgot about Dré.

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These platforms have a similar feel to wide terraces of a landscape.

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Sitting in here is like being a shielded microphone.

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The view out of a teardrop-shaped tent suspended from a tree trunk.

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Polyrhythms.

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A selection of striations.

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A selection of shadows.

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Here on the east side, channel glass diffuses the greenery of the Museumpark and the blue of the sky into an aquatic blur.

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Looking back north through the main passage.

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On the side of the Kunsthal facing the street (Westzeedijk) is this deep grated deck. I think it's there at least partly to cover the driveway that passes underneath the building.