Erick van Egeraat was commissioned by the Kunsthal in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, to create the exhibition design for four exhibitions between 1995-1998. This represented a crucial time in the history of the Kunsthal, the Rem Koolhaas-designed building that was completed in 1992, as the institution was developing its identity and seeking ways to reach larger audiences.

The first design was for the Pop Art exhibition in 1995 for which the main space of the Kunsthal, underwent a spectacular change. Inspired by the glamourous elements in Pop Art, a gargantuan wooden stairway 21 meters wide and 2.85 meters high was installed to connect the ground floor to the first floor. As a result the space resembled a theatre with the exhibition as the show, which exhibited over 150 works. As the staircase was able to transform the exhibition space, as well as creating a new route from ground to first floor, it remained in use for some time after closure of the Pop Art exhibition, adding an unusual exhibition space to the Kunsthal repertoire.