EDUCATORIUM, NETHERLANDS, UTRECHT, 1997
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| A campus centre for the University of Utrecht |
By OMA © All rights reserved
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The Educatorium is composed of two planes which fold to accommodate
a range of distinct programs, including an outdoor plaza, two
lecture halls, cafeteria and exam halls. Planes interlock to create
a single trajectory in which the entire university experience -
socialization, learning, examination - is encapsulated. more.. |
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The Educatorium is conceived as a new center of gravity for the
Uithof University Campus. The point of departure of the design are
two sheets which fold and interlock. The concrete slab is treated
as a malleable surface which allows an optimum fit for each
program. The sloped planes of the entrance plateau function like an
urban plaza or mixing chamber. Beneath this area is sheltered the
bicycle parking and intersecting bike-path.
Above the mixing chamber is the two-story block of examination halls. While specifically planned for mass examinations they are also designed to allow varied configurations of furnishing and inhabitation. The two auditoria are accessed via the large entry area ramp. Oriented towards the north side the larger auditorium is open to the view of the botanical gardens. Two curving walls enclose the room, one solid, one of glass. Laminated with a holographic film which changes between transparent or translucent depending on the viewer`s point, the glass wall acts as a fabricated cloud alternately clearing and obscuring the view to the outside while providing a screen of privacy for the interior. In the ceiling, steel reinforcement bars emerge from the exposed concrete slab. Steel and concrete dissociate allowing each material to work at optimum efficiency: the 20cm thick concrete slab is made to span 21 metres. The second auditorium with 400 seats is situated to the south. Spanning between two massive walls the roof structure is a densely packed series of I-beams forming a surface of steel. The cafeteria is situated beneath the floor of the auditoria. The lines of columns are denser to the south and almost disappear to the north towards the landscape beyond. Designed to accommodate up to 1000 people, the sloping ceiling together with the "random" columns generates a series of "places" within the large room. Circulation in the Educatorium is organized around a cruciform of two corridors subdividing each plan into quadrants and functioning as the main connectors. A second system of paths allows the building to function as a network. By merging the "pause" areas with circulation, larger open territories are generated as part of strategy of eliminating frontiers in favour of more subtle techniques of separation or inclusion. |
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FACT SHEET
Project: A campus centre for the University of Utrecht Client: University of Utrecht Year: 1997 Status: Built Type: Education Location: Utrecht, Netherlands Site: Uithof University Campus University building of 11.000m2; cafeteria (900 seats), 2 auditoria (400 and 500 seats), examination rooms, lobby and connection to two existing campus buildings, bike storage Budget: € 12 million
COLLABORATORS
Structural: ABT Adviesbureau voor Bouwtechniek bv, Rob Nijsse, Frans van Herwijnen, Velp-Delft Services: Ingenieursburo Linssen, Henk Knipscheer, Amsterdam Acoustics: TNO-TUE, Rens van Luxemburg, Eindhoven Facades: Robert-Jan van Santen, Lille Installations: FBU, Utrecht Projectioncel: Curve, Hellevoetsluis Artists: Joep van Lieshout, Rotterdam and Andreas Gurski, Düsseldorf Budget: Berenschot Osborne bv., Utrecht Ecological consultant: W/E adviseurs duurzaam bouwen, Gouda BAM Bredero, Bunnik; A.de Jong airconditioning bv, Schiedam; Ergon Electric bv, Utrecht; GTI Rotterdam-Capelle bv, Rotterdam; Lichtindustrie Wolter & Drost-Evli bv, Veenendaal.
PRESS
A+U #336, 09/98 Architectural Record #188, 06/00 Architectural Review #205, 04/99 Domus #800, 01/1998 El Croquis 1987-1998 #53+79, 08/06 Journal of Architectural Education #56, 02/03 SMLXL, 2nd Edition, 10/97 World Architecture #69, 02/99
CREDITS
Partner: Rem Koolhaas Team: Cristophe Cornubert with Richard Eelman, Gary Bates, Luc Veeger, Clement Gillet, Michel Melenhorst, Jacques Vink, Gaudi Houdaya, Enno Stemerding, Frans Blok, Henrik Valeur, Boukje Trenning Technical Support: Christian Müller, Eric Schotte
AWARDS
1999 Gerrit Rietveld Prize |
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