In the cargo bay

Type | Exhibition Design proposal    Year | 2025    Project site | Rotterdam, NL

Client | Architecture Instituut Rotterdam

This proposal was developed for the invited competition to design the exhibition for Rotterdam Architecture Month 2025, themed around the vision of a Paris-proof city. Referencing the site’s industrial history, we propose a new material stockyard that sources sustainable and reused materials from within a 100 km radius, generating both environmental and social value for Schiemond and its residents. The scenography features a scaffolding spaceframe that subdivides the space under a low roof, evoking the convivial atmosphere below the deck of a cargo ship, a lively space for workers, laughter, and dance, far from the opulence of the captain’s quarters. Three columns of reused concrete tubes support the spaceframe, while the fourth corner is suspended from a crane, a direct nod to the port’s machinery, here repurposed in the utopian spirit of Constant’s models or Cedric Price’s Fun Palace.

Beneath the spaceframe, a cross-shaped table made from reclaimed timber floor joists rests on trestles, organizing the space into four thematic quadrants. Exhibited works are displayed on the table, illuminated by a cross of light filtered through the trusswork above, integrating exhibition design, scenography, materials, and spatial organization within a single canopy structure. Above the visitors, four mosaic patchworks of soil, compost, reclaimed wood, and biochar form a layered ceiling, backlit to create a stargazing effect that sparks wonder and curiosity. These four materials were selected for their combined potential after the festival. Through a series of community workshops, soil, compost, and biochar will be blended to create fertile, carbon-rich soil. The reclaimed wood from the tables and mosaics will be reassembled into modular planters for permanent use along the quay or within the neighborhood. With all other elements rented, the installation produces zero waste.