‘Do we need a canopy for rain?’: interior-exterior relationships in the Kunsthal

Several strategies are used at the Rotterdam Kunsthal to create a direct relation between the city and the interior of the building. Our hypothesis is that the frictions and difficulties that arise from this openness to the outside world are integrated into the design of the building. In fact, despite being exposed to the forces of the city, the project maintains its functionality and identity. Many existing texts have touched upon the relationship that exists between the Kunsthal and the city (for example, van Dijk [1993], Kipnis [1996], MacNair [1994]), but none clearly articulates the different paradoxes that result from this complex intertwining. The importance of systematically and critically exploring these paradoxes lies in the fact that the Rotterdam Kunsthal is one of the very first of a series of contemporary buildings that have tried to connect themselves in direct ways to their urban surroundings.