©Ossip van Duivenbode

The 1980s marked a pivotal moment in Rotterdam's development when art, culture, and recreation flourished through numerous initiatives and architectural projects. This exhibition explores that transformative era through three iconic landmarks: the Central Library, Maritime Museum, and Schouwburgplein.

The exhibition design is like a walk through the city, maximising the limited space through three installation. The exhibition path winds through multiple levels, creating a layered experience in which visitors discover historic materials and contemporary perspectives.

Each installation references the original architectural language in materials, shapes, and concepts, like Van den Broek and Bakema's stacked squares, Quist's play with orthogonality, and a reinterpreation of the materials used by West 8. From Kim Zwart's black-and-white photography to the Central Library's hobby-esque model, the exhibition creates a dialogue between the original visions and the perspectives on their future.

Currently, there is more and more attention for architecture from the periode 1965 until the beginning of the 1990s, 'Post65 architecture'. This exhibition does not just look back: it's a converstation starter about what Rotterdam's cultural spaces can become next. Questions about their cultural-historical value are crucial since most of these buildings are not protected yet as heritage but are ready for some change: should these buildings be preserved, transformed or demolished?

Curation  OMI (Pieter Kuster, Emine Yilmazgil, and Stefanie Korrel)

Graphic design  Vennica Sidibanga Kaseye

Text and communication  Vivian Beekman

Production  Ulli Baisch and Jurgen van der Vlies

Special thanks to  Arianne Fleege, Atelier van Berlo, Atelier Kim Zwarts, Broekbakema, Bureau Monumenten en Cultuurhistorie, Central Library, Margot van Bekkum, Maritime Museum, Mike van Rheenen, Nieuwe Instituut, Obscura, Powerhouse Company, Quist Wintermans Architekten, Stadsarchief Rotterdam, StudioSpaceStation, and West 8 urban design & landscape architecture

©Aad Hoogendoorn