2_2_DiscoverBenelux_11_November_2014_Q9_Scan Magazine 1 06/11/2014 23:07 Page 55
Discover Benelux | Special Theme | Dutch Architecture & Interiors
TOP LEFT: ING House, Amsterdam (2002). Photo: Georges Fessy. BOTTOM LEFT: The new headquarters for Calvin Klein at Houthaven, Amsterdam (2016). TOP MIDDLE: Transformation of the old Binnengasthuis hospital into the new university library for the University of Amsterdam. Here the central atrium is shown (2018). MIDDLE AND RIGHT: New Babylon, The Hague (2013). Photos: Rob Hoekstra and René de Wit. BELOW MIDDLE: Roberto Meyer. Photo: Ineke Oostveen.
There is one other element that drives Meyer: high density city planning. The Netherlands is a small country and if we are not careful, he says, we will lose the all-important ‘empty’ space and natural environment. “Developers believe that everyone wants to own their own house, with a garden. Many open fields and farmland are being transformed into neighbourhoods with little to no variety. This happens even within cities. We advocate building closer together in the existing urban environment – where permitted – to gain space for the rest of the city and nature.” Buildings play an essential role in densification of the city; they can create opportunities for public spaces. As in the case of New Babylon in The Hague, where the addition of the high-rise towers made it feasible to place the new parking garage completely underground. This in turn created room to build the new Anna van Bueren Square that can be enjoyed by many. New Babylon is also one of many cases in which MVSA Architects preserved the existing structure of the old building and used it to create a new one. “We are all con-
vinced that beautiful, 19th century buildings should be preserved. But we also have to deal with the legacy of buildings from the ’60s and ’70s that are now vacant. These no longer meet our requirements and sadly there is much less love for them in our society.” Yet it is necessary to give these buildings a second chance, says Meyer. The New Babylon building is a great example where the new structure literally embraces the old one. Or the Ministry of Finance, a building that was once viewed as ugly, is now transformed into a building that is liked – if not loved – by most.
Transformation is an important factor; change is inevitable. Over the past thirty years architecture has continuously been transformed and it will do so in the future as well. This creates a responsibility for those who shape our world. “As architects we have a huge social responsibility. A realised building will be there for many years. Each project, each building has its own story, but ultimately it is about how users experience a building. For example, hearing that travellers are very satisfied with the new Rotterdam Central Station, that is the greatest compliment.” www.mvsa-architects.com
Haga Hospital, in The Hague. The new wing for the children’s hospital, mother & child centre operation complex and the heart and vascular centre (2015). Visualisations: MVSA Architects
Issue 11 | November 2014 | 55