NETHERLANDS EMBASSY, GERMANY, BERLIN, 2003
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| Royal Netherlands Embassy to the Federal Republic of Germany |
By OMA © All rights reserved
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The Netherlands Embassy is a disciplined cube with equally
disciplined irregularities which aims to facilitate a better
understanding of Berlin, confronting divergent ideas about how the
city, with its complexity, heaviness, opacity, and beauty, should
build / rebuild. Traditional planning guidelines of the former West
Berlin demanded that new buildings in the neighbourhood (the
Roldandufer in Mitte) reflect the local 19th century architectural
style. Planning officials in the former East Berlin were more open
to innovation. As a result, OMA combined an obedient approach
(strictly fulfilling the block's perimeter) with a disobedient one
(building an isolated cube). more.. |
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The embassy cuts the single, contiguous structure implied by
Berlin's regulations into two parts: a cube accommodating offices,
and a wall - the same height as the cube (27m, as regulations
dictate) and only semi-opaque - surrounding the cube on two sides,
accommodating embassy residences, and creating a protected internal
courtyard. Four pedestrian bridges span the courtyard and link the
cube with the wall at varying levels.
Inside the cube, the sense of security and stability required for an embassy co-exists with the free circulation provided by a 200m path that zig-zags up through the eight storeys, determining the arrangement of the building's spaces. From the entrance, the trajectory of the path leads to the library, on to the meeting rooms, skirting the offices, leading up to the fitness area and finally the restaurant on the roof terrace. This trajectory also distributes fresh air drawn from the double plenum façade to the work spaces (the areas that the path has carved out of the cube). At one point the path escapes the constraints of the cube and cantilevers over the courtyard. The regularity of the cube's glass and steel facade is disturbed again at moments where the path grazes the exterior, making itself visible from the outside and providing strategic views of the Spree, and the television tower. |
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FACT SHEET
Project: Royal Netherlands Embassy to the Federal Republic of Germany Client: Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Dienst Gebouwen Buitenland, The Hague Year: 1997 commission, 2003 completion Status: Built Type: Office Location: Berlin-Mitte, Rolandufer / Klosterstrasse Site: Facing street corner, park, riverfront Program: Total area 8,500m2, offices (4,800m2), housing (1,500m2), parking (2,200m2)
COLLABORATORS
Structure: Royal Haskoning / Arup Berlin Services: Huygen Elwako / Arup Berlin Project Management: Royal Haskoning Fire safety: Hosser Hass + Partner, Berlin Lighting: OVI, Washington DC, Berlin Curtains: Petra Blaisse, Inside Outside
PRESS
New York Times, 15 April 2005 A+ #197, 12/05-1/06 AD Architectural Digest, 09/06 arq./a, 11-12/06 Arquitectura e arte, 11-12/06Building Design #1725, 09/06/06 Era 21/05/06 GA Document #90, 24/05/06 iiC #819, 04/06 Lotus international #127, 2006 Odd - Even c3, 2006 Pasajes Construcción #20, 2006 Republic #1, 2006 Técnicas de vanguardia constructivas #8, 06/06 ViA arquitectura 15.V, Fall 2006 Vormagazin, 05/06
CREDITS
Partners in charge: Rem Koolhaas, Ellen van Loon Project Director: Erik Schotte Project Architect: Michelle Howard, Gro Bonesmo, Erik Schotte Team: Beth Margulis, Anu Leinonen, Daan Ooievaar, Adrianne Fisher, Robert Choeff, Christian Muller, Oliver Schütte, Fernando Romero Havaux, Matthias Hollwich, Katrin Thorhauer, Barbara Wolff, Bruce Fisher, Anne Filson, Udo Garritzman, Jenny Jones, Shadi Rahbaran, Mette Bos, Adam Kurdahl, Stan Aarts, Julien Desmedt, Annick Hess, Rombout Loman, Antti Lassila, Thomas Kolbasenko, Moritz von Voss, Paolo Costa, Carolus Traenkner, Susanne Manthey, Christiane Sauer, Tammo Prinz, Nils Lindhorst, Felix Thoma Research: Bill Price, Marc Guinand |
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