With the Depot Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam acquired the world's first publicly accessible art storage facility in 2020. The iconic building, designed by MVRDV , is crowned by a spectacular roof garden of approximately 1,500 m², 35 meters high. Ebben Project Support coordinated the trees and plantings for this unique "roof forest."
Preparation and tree selection
For the design by MTD Landscape Architects , 75 multi-stemmed Betula pubescens (soft birch) trees were selected, supplemented with Pinus nigra and various spring-flowering species. These trees, up to ten meters tall, were prepared and acclimatized at the nursery for three years to ensure they were suitable for the extreme conditions at altitude: wind load, limited root space, and fluctuating moisture levels.
Technical implementation
The roof garden is constructed using a specially designed lightweight substrate and drainage system. This system combines efficient water management with a stable soil structure, without overloading the roof structure. An anchoring system has been used for the trees, which absorbs wind loads at a height of 35 meters while simultaneously enabling healthy root development. The roof's rainwater harvesting system is integrated with the plantings and reuses collected rainwater for irrigation.
The logistics posed a challenge: the heavy trees were hoisted above the mirrored building using a telescopic crane and carefully placed in the planting beds. These planting beds are integrated into the architecture and create a robust yet visually light integration of the greenery.
Result
The result is a roof garden that is not only aesthetically and ecologically valuable, but also functional. The roof functions as a public city park with a restaurant and panoramic terrace, and has been awarded the 2020 Rooftop Award . Thanks to the intensive preparation and technical coordination of Ebben Project Support, the roof forest is a sustainable and future-proof addition to the Rotterdam skyline.
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