23 06 13

At the Day Of Architecture Amsterdam on June 23rd architects Mels Crouwel, Joost Vos and Moon Brader will give an architecture tour through the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. During this year’s Day of Architecture, organized by ARCAM and the BNA Kring Amsterdam, more than 40 architectonic highlights open their doors and many activities are organized. Time: 10.00-17.00 hrs. Check out the complete program here. 

22 06 13

For the Day of Architecture on Saturday 22nd of June partner and architect Marten Wassmann will lecture about ‘twentyfourseven’ Schiphol, the airport that Benthem Crouwel has been involved with for the past 25 years. Attend the lecture at the ABC in Haarlem at 12.00 hrs. You can also visit The Hague Central for a tour and/or presentation by architect Pieter van Rooij about the design of the new station. Jan Benthem will be in Rotterdam as a member of the jury for the ‘Port of Rotterdam Midzomernacht Ontwerpmarathon’, where young designers present their ideas for a challenging design task in the port area. More information: DagvandeArchitectuur and PortofRotterdam

20 06 13

The Kulturbau in Koblenz ‘Forum Confluentes’ celebrates its grand opening for the public today. The Kulturbau houses the public library, the Mittelrhein Museum and the tourist information of Koblenz. A large public roof terrace offers 360 ° views over the UNESCO- heritage site of the 'Oberes Mittelrheintal'. The Kulturbau Forum Confluentes and the mall Forum Mittelrhein together are the design for the redevelopment of the ‘Zentralplatz’, the central square of Koblenz. The mall Forum Mittelrhein opened in September last year

06 06 13

In October this year the construction of the new congress and office building for the exhibition and conference centre RAI will start. This was announced by the RAI during the last day of the PROVADA. The new building on the Scheldeplein will be constructed according to the BREEAM-NL Excellent label. Next to an extensive atrium, a ‘green long’ for urban farming is part of the design. This way, the building will contribute to the production of herbs and vegetables, which can be used in the restaurant that will be situated on the ground floor. The building will seamlessly fit into the existing complex and at the same time have a new, modern look.

04 06 13

At the upcoming PROVADA, Architect Pieter van Rooij will talk about the work process and design of the public transport terminal The Hague Central. During this yearly event for the real estate business, Grontmij has organized an interactive session with Richard Folkers, project manager at Prorail, Bertil Poelman, project director at Strukton and Martin van Veen, project manager at Grontmij. To attend this discussion and presentation please visit the Grontmij stand at Tuesday June 4th from 13.30 to 14.30 hrs at the PROVADA at the RAI Amsterdam.

26 05 13

Beginning September 2013 the TU Delft will offer a new Master of Science course whose particular focus is the architecture of complex interiors. To mark this occasion, and to honor the discourse of the Chair's programme 'Interiors, Buildings and Cities' for the past fourteen years, on May 23rd the conference 'Architecture of the Interior' is organized. During this conference Jan Benthem will lecture about the major interior works of Benthem Crouwel, ranging from the infra structural to the cultural. Admission is free. Registration required.

17 05 13

‘Heijmans’ is one of the three consortia that has been selected for the construction of the new court in Breda. The consortium consists of Heijmans PPP, Benthem Crouwel Architects, Maatschap Landlab, Effic (facilities), Heijmans Utiliteitsbouw and Burgers Ergon. The PPP project entails a DBFMO contract for a period of 30 years. The closing of the contract is expected in Q2 2015.

09 05 13

The placing of the roof elements of The Hague Central Station has started in December 2012 and now the last element will be set. In the morning Europe’s biggest mobile crane will remove the crane currently positioned in the station hall, provided there isn’t too much wind. Late afternoon the 220th and final diamond-shaped roof element will be fixed on a height of 22 metres. The Hague Central is scheduled for completion in 2014.

07 05 13

The former VROM-building on the Rijnstraat 8 in The Hague has to be adjusted on multiple aspects, since mechanical engineering, users facilities and functionality are outdated. Three consortia are selected to work on a proposal for the implementation of this PPP project Renewal Rijnstraat 8 (PPS Vernieuwing Rijnstraat 8). Benthem Crouwel participates in the consortium TeamVR8, together with the contractors Van Wijnen and Cordeel. The Rijnstraat 8 will be the first 'Rijkskantoor' to realize. The closing of the contract is expected early 2014.

07 05 13

In the context of the Rotterdam and Amsterdam city embassy, an initiative that should lead to greater sharing of knowledge and initiatives between the two cities, the second edition of the Rotterdam Talkshow will be hosted in Pakhuis the Zwijger, Amsterdam. On Tuesday May 7th  host Sjoerd van Oortmerssen will talk to a diverse group of creative people for an update from the harbor city about ‘everything cool & groovy’. Jan Benthem, being involved in the design of Rotterdam Central station, will be talking with Jeroen Laven of STIPO about urban development, architecture and the differences and similarities between the two cities. Entrance is free. For more information and  to sign up: Pakhuis de Zwijger

04 05 13

In May the Dutch-Turkish event Station Centraal/ Merkez Istasyonu takes place in both Istanbul en Ankara. In addition to an exhibition of Dutch and Turkish station projects, there is a workshop for students and a symposium during the first two days of the exhibition. Architect and partner Marcel Blom gives a lecture on Saturday, May 4th in Istanbul about station development and the major station projects Benthem Crouwel is involved with, namely Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague and Delft. The exhibition can be visited in Istanbul from 4 to 18 May and from 20 to 31 May in Ankara. See www.stationcentraal.eu for more information.

22 04 13

Today the yearbook Architecture in The Netherlands was presented. For 25 years this yearbook is an international showcase for Dutch architecture. The editors have made a selection of 30 of the most outstanding projects in the past year, that have been completed and describes the main developments and trends affecting the production and design of the Dutch architecture. The book contains an overview of the main prizes, competitions, exhibitions and publications of the past year as well. The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is showcased in this 26th edition of the yearbook Architecture in the Netherlands.

11 04 13

Schiphol is voted best airport of Europe by travelers. Schiphol received the prestigious World Airport Award for the second time. Furthermore the airport also rose one place to number 3 in the world rankings of best airports. Travelers praise Schiphol as an orderly and efficient airport to switch planes. This is partly due to the good self-service facilities that make a pleasant and efficient travel process possible. Schiphol is also acclaimed for its high quality and wide range of facilities like shops and restaurants. These World Airport Awards are based on the opinion of over 12 million travelers from more than a hundred countries. Singapore Changi Airport and Incheon International Airport (South-Korea) proceed Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in the world ranking.

11 04 13

The rough structure of the railway area in Delft has been completed. Today the official beginning of the finishing and completion was marked by placing a steel frame of 25 by 8 meters. Eventually a glass floor will be put on this frame, to ensure day light on the platforms below. In September this year other finishing elements will be constructed, such as stairs, aluminum ceiling elements, sound absorbing wall covering and the bicycle parking. The new station Delft is scheduled to open in 2015.

04 04 13

Today the construction of Stichthage officially commenced. The project entails the construction of facilities for travellers and shops at The Hague Central station, creating a considerable increase in the diversity and the amount of stores. Marnix Norder (alderman of the city of The Hague), Michiel Noy (CEO NS stations) and Marinus Schimmel (CEO Strukton Worksphere) marked the official start of construction. The Hague Central will be completed in 2014.

19 03 13

In the seventh edition of the series ‘Architekturquartett NRW’, partner Marten Wassmann will take part in a public panel discussion on ‘Identity’ in Düsseldorf, Germany. By invitation of the Chamber of Architects of North Rhine-Westphalia, the panel will discuss aspects of identity in architecture, referring closely to three recently completed projects, situated within the borders of the most populous state. Further information

16 03 13

The bridge elements of the Ponte Palazzo have been brought to the construction site in four pieces and are welded together. This weekend the bridge deck will be hoisted and positioned over the train tracks. The trains will be out of service for only a weekend, so there is a tight schedule. On March 16 from 11 to 17 hours everybody who is interested can follow the construction live from higher ground at the Essent building in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. At 12.00 hours architect Marleen van Driel will give a presentation and elaborate about the design of the Ponte Palazzo. The construction can also be followed live via the webcam.

09 03 13

Six metro stations of the North/South Line will get seven pieces of art. 23 International artists are selected and will present their art in the Pop-Up Expo. From 9 March till April 14th the designs can be seen and judged by you. The Pop-Up Expo is in building Duintjer at the Vijzelstraat 68, Amsterdam and is open from 12.00 to 20.00h, 7 days a week. Entrance is free. On 13 and 21 March the artists will also present their designs at Pakhuis de Zwijger. The presentations start at 19.00h. Be welcome.

28 02 13

The mall Forum Mittelrhein is awarded with the Immobilien Award 2013; leading award in the real estate branch. The project won in category Project development New Building and is a joint venture of ECE Projektmanagement GmbH, STRABAG Real Estate and RREEF Investment GmbH. The jury considering the Forum Mittelrhein as very special, because of the broad development process, the urban ensemble that is created in Koblenz and the extraordinary architecture. 

26 02 13

The letters CENTRAAL STATION are back at Rotterdam Central Station. The letters are created as exact replicas of the letters designed by architect Ravesteyn in the 50s, that marked the former station.  At the station several historical elements will return, such as the sculptures known as ‘de speculaasjes’ and the old station clock. On the 7th of March at 18.00hrs the letters, which have LED lights, will be are festively illuminated. See video

07 02 13

For their cooperation on the extension of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Benthem Crouwel and Holland Composites have won the Co-Creation Award 2013. They were awarded with a trip to Copenhagen for two, including a visit at an architecture company. The Co-Creation Award is to celebrate the results of innovative co-creation between designers, engineers and producers. Photo: Ronald Tilleman

03 02 13

The first part of the new hall of Utrecht Central Station is open. 975.000 kilo steel and nearly 6.000 m3 of concrete are used to build the first part of the hall. New shops, toilets and information about the public transport will be opened in the hall in the months to come. The old hall, which connected the Jaarbeursplein with the Jaarbeurstraverse, will no longer be used. In 2016 the new hall will accommodate the 360.000 people, who are expected in the hall daily.

24 01 12

The mall Forum Mittelrhein in Koblenz has received the Certificate in Gold from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). The building was assessed on sustained overall performance on the basis of 50 different criteria, such as Thermal Comfort, Access for All and Noise Protection. The assessment is based on the entire life cycle of the building and includes all the key aspects of sustainable building: environmental, economic, sociocultural and functional aspects, technology, processes and site.

17 01 13

Benthem Crouwel and Holland Composites have received a nomination for the Co-Creation Award 2013 for their cooperation on the extension of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. The award is to celebrate the results of innovative co-creation between designers, engineers and producers. "The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is seen as a unique project, with a technically very clever facade and distinctive look. From the beginning, there has been a collaboration with a partner and the advantage is obvious", noted the jury. The winner will be announced during the Material Xperience on February 7th in the Jaarbeurs Utrecht.

16 01 13

The Ziggo Dome and the Stedelijk Museum are nominated for the Gouden A.A.P. 2013. This Amsterdam Architecture Award is an initiative of ARCAM; the Amsterdam Centre for Architecture. 24 nominees are selected from all projects that are completed in Amsterdam in 2012. Criteria for winning the award are having the most beautiful, the most innovative and/or the most illustrative project for the current situation in Amsterdam. The winner will be announced in April.

15 01 13

In the final leg of this terms' series of lectures "Making Of...Maßstab [Scale]" at the Faculty of Architecture at Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Marten Wassmann will speak about the role of scale in the work of Benthem Crouwel Architects. Inspiration, implementation and impact will equally be referred to. Venue: Campus Haspel, Room HD 24, Haspeler Str. 27, D-42285 Wuppertal, at 18.00 hrs. More information

10 01 13

Mels Crouwel was responsible for the design of De Pont. In an interview he talks about the special aspects of the building and the transformation of old wool factory to a museum of contemporary art. The mirroring works, until January 27 2013 on display at De Pont in a retrospective, engage in a dialogue with the building. The clean lines and industrial look of the surroundings are curved and organic in the reflection of Kapoor's work. Mels Crouwel discusses the interesting interplay between architecture and this exhibition. Check out the video (by Zeus Hoenderop).

02 01 13

Benthem Crouwel wishes everybody a happy 2013! Just before the holidays, Christmas were celebrated at the Benthem Crouwel office in Amsterdam, together with our colleagues from Germany and The Hague. Chef Klary Koopmans prepared a 3-course dinner for more than 50 people. After this lovely meal, the get-together was continued with much laughter, drinks and dancing.

17 12 12

The datacenter AM3 won the prestigious DatacenterDynamics “The Green data center” Award 2012. The AM3 Science Park facility is awarded because of the sustainable approach taken with the design and construction. The recently operational datacenter has many sustainable facilities, including hybrid cooling towers and an ATES-system that uses excess energy to heat surrounding buildings. The DatacenterDynamic awards recognize innovation, leadership and ‘out of the box’ thinking.

11 12 12

The first of the 220 diamond-shaped roof elements of The Hague Central Station has been placed last night. Each element is 8 by 12 metres, weighs 6.000 kilograms and consists of a smoke/heat valve surrounded by glass. For the safety of the passengers the elements, also known as ‘wybertje’ (named after the diamond-shaped licorice), will be installed during the night. By placing approximately 10 elements each night at 22 meters above ground floor, the glass roof is expected to be completely installed in spring next year.

03 12 12

The fifth Composites in Architecture will take place in Weimar, Germany on 3 and 4 December. This international symposium is dedicated to the use of composites in construction. Among other subjects, new developments, sustainability and constructions are discussed. Joost Vos will present the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and talk about the innovative use of composite in the façade.

29 11 12

The basic steel and solid construction works of the “Hörsaalzentrum” Osnabrück in Germany are nearly completed. The assembly of the window- and façade elements will start in December. The lecture and seminar building will be part of  the expansion around the Campus Westerberg of Osnabrück´s universities and is a result of a competition in 2010. Completion is scheduled for September 2013.

26 11 12

The German BDA (Bund Deutscher Architekten) nominated Benthem Crouwel's Deutsches Bergbau Museum for the architecture prize "Nike” 2013. The prize is awarded every three  years for outstanding contributions to architecture and urban design in six different categories. The award ceremony will take place in Frankfurt in June next year.

21 11 12

Jan Benthem will lecture at the annual ‘Company Days for Engineers’ (Bouwkunde Bedrijvendagen) at the Technical University of Eindhoven. He will talk about the stations Amsterdam, The Hague, Delft, Utrecht and Rotterdam. The goal of the Construction Company Days 2012 is to improve the contact between students and the business community. Next to lectures, there are workshops, discussion panels and a business market as well. Have a look at www.bouwkundebedrijvendagen.nl for more information.

20 11 12

Joost Vos will be lecturing at the Technical University Delft. The so called lunch lecture is for students who would like to know more about working at an architecture firm. Joost Vos will tell more about the practical implications of being an architect and the way of tackling a project.

12 11 12

On the 12 th of november architect and partner Markus Sporer lectured about Benthem Crouwel projects at “Architekturgespräche 2012” in Munich, Germany on invitation by ‘ap35’, german experts for Architecture Management and Relationship Marketing. Designs, construction and materials of projects from the past, present and future were shown.

10 11 12

The new travelers passage of Rotterdam Central is open! The official opening ceremony was performed by the Minister of Infrastructure and Environment, the Councilor of the City of Rotterdam for port, traffic and regional economy and directors of ProRail and NS. The opening of the new passage is a mile stone in the construction of Rotterdam Central Station. The station will be completed in 2014.  See also www.youtube.com.

03 11 12

On the 3rd of November The Hague Central Station has open house. Supervisors and contractors take visitors on a tour to the various construction sites between 11.00 and 16.00 hrs. Every half hour a group of visitors will leave at the stand in the station. You can also attend a presentation on four occasions about the construction of the new station. During this presentation experts explain why the station is being rebuild. Senior architect Pieter van Rooij will represent Benthem Crouwel and tell all about the design and construction methods. The kids can join a treasure hunt trough the station. Check out the program here.

01 11 12

The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is nominated for the Geurt Brinkgreve Bokaal. The Geurt Brinkgreve Bokaal is an annual award that the municipality of Amsterdam gives to the best initiative concerning redevelopment or renovation in the existing (housing) stock. Criteria are creativity, social value, the process of creation and sustainability. December 11th the winner will be announced.

11 10 12

Partner Joost Vos will present the project IJsei on October 11th at the World Steel Conference in New Dehli, India. The IJsei is the fourth station roof of Amsterdam Central Station and an excellent example of what a wide and light span of steel can do. The conference is organized by the World Steel Association, which represents over 100 steel producers including the top 50 by volume in the world.

09 10 12

The datacenter AM3 was officially opened today. The complex consists of an office building and a building that houses data (IT-infrastructure for organisations). Benthem Crouwel designed the  complex, which is 'state of the art' in the areas of sustainability, safety and design. The datacenter is situated in the Amsterdam Science Park. The Science Park, where 200 digital networks are connected, is one of the largest internet nodes in the world.

09 10 12

On the ninth of October there is an evening program with lectures about Rotterdam Central; ‘a new icon and entrance to the city’. Multiple organizations, among which AIR (Architecture Institute Rotterdam) and historical institute Roterodamum, are working together to make this evening possible on the occasion of opening the travelers passageway in autumn. Admission is  free. Sign up before October 8th via info@puntcentraal.nl. Location: Kriterion, groothandelsgebouw Rotterdam, Stationsplein 45, Rotterdam.

04 10 12

Joost Vos will be lecturing at the Nationale Staalbouwdag 2012 on the 4th of October. During the architects seminar in Katwijk aan Zee he will elaborate about IJsei, the fourth station roof of Amsterdam Central Station. This roof is a combination of cold bent glass panels and corrugated steel sheets on a spatial steel arch. More information: http://nationalestaalbouwdag.nl

26 09 12

The new shopping mall Forum Mittelrhein in Koblenz is open! The mall, located in the heart of Koblenz, consists of 20,000 m2 floor space for commercial functions. There is a food court on site and there are over 80 stores, including big names such as Adidas, H & M, Douglas, Saturn and Claire's. The shopping center, together with the Kulturbau, are a part of the redevelopment of the central square of Koblenz.

The square, Zentralplatz, not only connects the different districts of Koblenz with each other, but also has an important function as a public transport hub and as a place where different pedestrian flows come together. The Kulturbau will serve a multitude of cultural users and tourist functions, including a museum, the tourist office and a library. The Kulturbau is scheduled to open next spring.

24 09 12

On the occasion of reopening the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam specially designed stamps are on sale. Experimental Jetset designed the sheet with stamps, which shows an architectural drawing of the new building, together with details of ten iconic images that have a strong relationship with the Museum. Annerie Lekkerkerker, director retail and consumers of PostNL, presented the first stamps to managing director of the Stedelijk Museum, Patrick van Mil. The stamps are available in sets of ten at Bruna stores, the Collect Club in Groningen and online via www.postnl.nl/collectclub. Each stamps has the value indication 1. Other than the set of stamps, two stamp booklets and two types of ‘first day envelopes’ are issued.

23 09 12

The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is open! Visitors are welcome at Museumplein 10 from Tuesday till Sunday. “With this long awaited reopening, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam reclaims its powerful position among big and prominent art institutions. It puts Amsterdam in the spotlight as a center of artistic innovation and brings new life to the Museumplein - one of the most important cultural landscapes in the world," says Ann Goldstein, director of the Museum.

17 09 12

The contractors consortium CeDrie will start the construction of the Grotiusbuilding for the Radboud University Nijmegen. Cedrie consists of Bouwbedrijf Berghege, Heerkens van Bavel Bouw and Kropman Installatietechniek. The Faculty of Law will be the main user of the new building, which will contain diverse study areas, a library, a restaurant with a terrace outside and a lecture hall with 500 seats; the largest lecture space of the university. Under the building a parking lot with 350 spaces will be created. The Grotiusbuilding is named after Hugo de Groot, the most important jurist in Dutch history.

05 09 12

Archined made a video portrait of Jan Benthem and his floating house in IJburg. Benthem elaborates about the challenges of designing within the sometimes inconvenient demands of the City of Amsterdam and his new insights concerning the differences between building on land and building on water. He shows how the design principles simplicity and efficiency can be found in his house. See video. The video portrait is part of a series of programs with different architecture news video formats.

28 08 12

Because of its unique character, Benthem Crouwel´s “wine leaf”-façade of the new shopping mall Forum Mittelrhein at Zentralplatz in Koblenz is nominated for the Aluminium Award 2012 in the categories SPECIAL PRIZE: SURFACE TREATMENT and AWARD: BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION. The Aluminium Award is given to products or projects in which aluminium has been applied in an innovative manner. The winners will be announced at the Award Gala on Tuesday 9 October in Messe Düsseldorf.

16 08 12

The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam will be officially opened by Queen Beatrix on Saturday September 22th in the afternoon. Because of the renovation and the brand new building the Stedelijk has more space than ever to show the famous collection. The museum maintains a collection of modern and contemporary art and design of 90,000 objects dating from the seventies of the nineteenth century to the present. The old part of the museum houses the permanent collection. The new building offers temporary exhibitions. The first temporary exhibition - Beyond Imagination - is a tribute to contemporary art made in the Netherlands. On Sunday, September 23rd, the museum will open for public.

09 08 12

The painting of the tiles for the bicycle and pedestrian tunnel beneath Amsterdam Central is in full swing. 74.000 Tiles are hand painted at Koninklijke Tichelaar Makkum, Friesland. Two painters will be working full time on the tiles for a year. Every tile of 13 by 13 cm is a part of an enormous tile tableau which will be 102 metres long and 12 metres broad. The paintings are blue on white, showing the herring fishermen at the IJ in Amsterdam, fishermen hauling their nets and ships that sail on a rough sea. Irma Boom designed the images.

06 07 12

At the Strandbaukunst workshop, Marten Wassmann will take part in the jury session on the beach of Zandvoort, at the end of this semester's course in Building Construction at Fakultät für Architektur und Bauingenieurwesen, TU Dortmund, Germany, led by professors Ansgar und Benedikt Schulz. This term, students worked on space and aesthetics, plasticity and dramaturgy; the workshop culminates in this on-site building event - with nothing at hand but sand and water.

26 06 12

Jan Benthem will be discussing the functionality, security and aesthetics of the metro stations with the Department NorthSouth Line, artist Peter Doeswijk and Rob Ruts (Design for Governance) at ‘Talk of the Town #43: The Metrolab‘. What will the stations be like? What possibilities are there for art in the stations? Why are certain choices made and what can we learn from them with regard to other locations in Amsterdam?  The talkshow is from 18.00 – 20.00 hrs in Pakhuis de Zwijger. Entrance is free. Sign up via the website

24 06 12

Renowned Dutch artist Marco Borsato gave the first official concert in the brand new Ziggo Dome. See the pictures for an impression of the building on the inside, let the expert explain why the acoustics are amazing and feel the great atmosphere of the concert.

21 06 12

'Genius loci versus Constructing Identity?' is the title of the lecture Marten Wassmann will hold at Bartenbach Lichtakademie in Aldrans / Innsbruck in Austria. The lecture is the second lecture that Marten will hold there on the topic of Architecture and Identity, after his lecture in May 2011 on 'Thinking Space - Creating Space - Experiencing Space'.  The lecture will start at 19.00 hrs at the auditorium (Aula) of the academy, Rinner Straße 14, 6071 Aldrans. Reservations can be made through info@lichtakademie.com. More information: lecture/ Lichtakademie.

20 06 12

In the series of Architekturgespräche, partner Marten Wassmann will appear at the Midsommernacht event in Zürich, by invitation of Büroform Raumkonzepte. Marten will give a short introduction to the work of the office, focusing on recent projects. For more information refer to: architekturgespräche.ch  or swiss-architects.com

18 06 12

The Ziggo Dome is completed. The concert hall has a capacity of 17.000 visitors and is situated at the Arena Poort at the heart of Amsterdam Southeast. The building is shaped like a ‘black box’ and has 10.000 m2 video screen as an exterior wall by using 120.000 LED fixtures. 4.500 pre-fab concrete elements and 1.600 tons of steel were used. Great acoustics an intimate atmosphere are of major importance in the design. At the 24th of June the Ziggo Dome opens for spectators with a concert of Marco Borsato. Many great artists, such as Pearl Jam, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Muse have already planned a concert in The Netherlands’ newest concert hall. Check out the video screen.

15 06 12

Benthem Crouwel has been selected to compete for making the architectural design of buildings and landscape at the future European Spallation Source research centre in Lund (Sweden), together with West 8, Arup and Mandaworks. Five international consortia are chosen from the 23 submitted requests. The contest task consists of developing and presenting design ideas for the site layout and buildings for the ESS facility, and the surrounding landscaping. A jury will evaluate the proposals on the basis of several criteria: architectural design qualities, flexibility, economic and functional feasibility, safety and sustainability. At the end of October, the winning design will be announced. Check out the ESS video: Science for Society and the official website.

08 06 12

The platform roofs of Utrecht Central Station are completed. Three new roofs at the platforms 11/12, 8/9 and 5/7 have solar cells. Together the roofs generate about 85.000 kWh a year; enough for 25 households. On the first two platforms new roofs are installed as well, albeit without solar cells because the light intensity is too low there for efficient use of the solar cells. The central section of the platform roofs is made of glass, so daylight can enter the platforms. The glass does not only offer a pleasant wait for the passengers at the platforms itself, but also gives the travellers in the traverse hall a nice view of the platforms. By integrating both installation and technical facilities for rail, lighting and broadcasting as well the architectural facilities an uniform, clear roof is created, which takes maintenance into account and has a light, transparent appearance for travelers. The new platform roofs are part of the big project where Utrecht gets a renewed integrated station complex.

01 06 12

ACTA, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, has won the Hedy d’Ancona Award 2012. According to the jury: “ACTA is exceptionally good detailed architecture; a building of international stature. Even in the smallest details the theme, a streamlined environment for care, education and research, is conducted. The building impresses immediately upon entering and that is exactly what gives patients, students and researchers confidence in the high quality profession that is performed, taught and examined in the building.” The award of 10.000 euro was given by Hedy d’Ancona herself.

30 05 12

Partner and architect Joost Vos will be lecturing at the Eindhoven University of Technology on Wednesday 30th May, 12.30 hours at the faculty Built Environment. Together with structural designer Arjan Habraken (SIDstudio – on behalf of Arup), he will elaborate about the architectural and structural aspects of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

23 05 12

‘Get in touch with the Dutch’ is the theme of a series lectures that will be held at the institute of architecture at the Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU) in Germany during the summer semester 2012. Internationally renowned architects from The Netherlands will be giving guest lectures at the request of professors Jörg J. Kühn and Mathias Gussman. Organization is under the auspices of the embassy of The Netherlands in Berlin (Ambassador Marnix Krop), which helped to realize these impressive series. Architect Mels Crouwel will be lecturing on May 23rd. All interested are cordially invited. For more information and the complete list of lecturers see here.

10 05 12

The Kulturbau Koblenz was handed over to the city of Koblenz for finishing. The project is result of a competition which Benthem Crouwel has won in 2008. The business venture FMK of STRABAG Real Estate and ECE has developed and built the refined shell of the building according to the design and drawings of Benthem Crouwel. The city of Koblenz is now in charge for finishing the interiors. The building hosts the new Mittelrhein-Museum, the new library and the so called “Romantikum”, an exhibition which addresses the world heritage “Obereres Mittelrheintal”. Official opening is planned for the early summer of 2013.

09 05 12

The new building of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is ready. Press got a preview of the museum today. Speeches were given by Alderman Carolien Gehrels and Ann Goldstein, director of the Stedelijk Museum. Architect Mels Crouwel elaborated about the design of the museum.

In the last months the entrance was finished, the climate control system got tuned and floor and ceiling in the immense hall of 1100 m2 were mounted. Setting up and furnishing the public areas, such as the restaurant and the museum store will start now as well as transferring the art and completion of the pavement around the museum. Official opening is scheduled for September 23rd this year.

03 05 12

The workshop “AIT Plattform Office Architektur 2012” is held in Croatia this year. Partner Markus Sporer will cooperate on the workshop and present the project Penthouse Las Palmas.

24 04 12

The Academic Centre for Dentistry (ACTA) has won the AIT Award 2012 in the category Health + Care, Interior. A total of 1550 projects from 46 countries entered the competition. The projects were assessed on concept, functionality, architectural and design vocabulary, flexibility and varieties of use, innovative and coherent spatial concepts, sustainability and materials and detailing. An international panel of judges selected the winners, who were displayed during the Light+Building in Frankfurt am Main.

20 04 12

Passengers chose Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as best airport of Europe at the Passenger Terminal expo in Vienna. Schiphol also returns in the top 5 of best airports in the world as number 4. Benthem Crouwel NACO was very pleased with this acknowledgement and celebrated at Schiphol with sweet treats.

19 04 12

The official start of the construction of the “Hörsaalzentrum” Osnabrück in Germany was celebrated with a spectacular explosion on the building plot. The ground-breaking ceremony has been carried out by State Secretary Dr. Josef Lange. The lecture and seminar building will be part of  the expansion around the Campus Westerberg of Osnabrück´s universities. The completion is scheduled for September 2013.

19 04 12

Will the personnel of the RAI be able to pick tomatoes in their new building? How are glass fins and  composite entwined? How sustainable is the latest addition to the RAI complex? Learn all about the Scheldeplein Building, that will emerge next year. Architect Annette van Baren presents the design of the congress and office building during the trade show Building Holland. Together with the Dutch Green Building Council (DGBC) and the RAI she will also elaborate on the results of the BREEAM-NL Challenge. Thursday 19th April, 12.00 hrs. in Future Lab, Hall 11 (Building Holland, Amsterdam RAI). Sign up for a free visit to Building Holland.

18 04 12

Piano virtuoso Wibi Soerjadi will initiate a unique lifting action of the longest piano in the world today at  12.00. A 4.09 meter long piano, in the shape of a whale, created by the Polish designer Robert Majkut is hoisted to sixty meters to the future skylounge located on the 17th floor of A2 Fletcher Hotel Amsterdam. The impressive musical instrument is the first Whale Tone (whaletone.com) in the Netherlands. The lifting action is necessary because the Whale Tone, with its enormous dimensions, cannot get inside the building once the roof of the hotel is completed. Follow this event live

The hotel is currently under construction and will be the new landmark of the Amsterdam municipality. It is located in the loop where the A2 motorway links to the A9 motorway. The four-star hotel will have 120 luxurious hotel rooms, nine meeting rooms and five boardrooms, a fitness center, a coffee bar, skylounge with bar of 22 meters, panoramic restaurant and a rooftop terrace with stunning views over Amsterdam. Completion of the hotel is expected in Q4 2012.

17 04 12

On the 17th of April architect and partner Markus Sporer will be lecturing at “Denkanstöße 2012” in Bielefeld, Germany on invitation by the BDB - a German professional association of architects and engineers. The lecture will start at 19.00 hrs at the Art Gallery (Kunsthalle) Bielefeld. Reservations can be made. For more information click here.

04 04 12

To great amusement of the construction workers in the Ziggo Dome, the Dutch band Bløf gave away a surprise concert. Paskal Jakobsen, leadsinger of the band states: “We have high expectations of the Ziggo Dome, and have been told that it will be Europe’s best music quality venue. We will test this ourselves in November this year, when we’ll give a concert to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the band.” The construction of the music venue is making great progress and the LED lights on the side of the building are already tested. The experience for visitors is the core of the design for The Netherlands’ biggest concert hall. Especially the acoustics, sightlines and atmosphere are important factors that contribute to a spectacular musical experience. See more of the surprise concert in the Ziggo Dome here.

03 04 12

Ann Goldstein, Director of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, today announced that this leading international institution of modern and contemporary art and design will celebrate its grand reopening with a ceremony on Saturday, September 22, 2012, and will begin welcoming the public on September 23, following the completion of the most ambitious renovation and expansion project in its history.

28 03 12

Driving past on the A2 to Amsterdam the first outline of the new hotel is hard to miss. With a fierce wind at a height of 60metres but with a warming spring sun upon the attendees, the topping out ceremony was celebrated. The first blue panels are already installed and give a fine impression on how the hotel will look when finished; a blue beacon just before driving into Amsterdam. As a superb finish 720 blue glass panels will be installed. Completion of the building is expected in Q4 2012.

23 03 12

This Friday architect Job Schroën will be lecturing at the Universidad Gestalt de Diseno (School of Design) in Xalapa, Mexico. The subject will be the Ponte Palazzo. The design is an elevated park and a bicycle and pedestrian bridge in one; to create a safe, easy and pleasant passage from a residential area behind the train station across the tracks into the city centre. After the lecture the students will visit a comparable situation in Xalapa, where a bridge still needs to be designed. The next week the students will deploy their designs and ideas for a bridge. The Ponte Palazzo itself will be situated in the city ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands and is expected to be completed in 2013.

22 03 12

Architect and partner Marten Wassmann will attend the Alpitecture code 4-12 in South Tyrol from the 22nd till the 25th of March. During this three days event, architects who are active at an international level and experts from different disciplines discuss the status quo in research and society. They will develop new methods and models for dealing with architecture in the Alps. South Tyrol, set in the middle between the Eastern and Western Alps, links the Alpine with the Mediterranean, spontaneity with solidity, nature with culture. This region with its rich diversity creates the ideal framework in which to consider the Alps as an extreme living space, architecture as a designed living and working environment, and future-orientated technologies. More information

20 03 12

De Pont in Tilburg has broadened her entrance area and expanded her cloakroom and toilets. A new counter has been designed and installed in the hallway. The adjustments lent more service to the growing number of visitors at the museum for contemporary art. Especially with the new exposition of the famous Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, De Pont can put the extra space to great use. Since 1992 Benthem Crouwel has designed expansion and renovations at the museum.

06 03 12

The platform roofs of Utrecht Central Station won the Benelux Aluminium Award 2011 in the category Renovation Products. This extra category is intended for entries with a striking performance or application. A certificate was received from Fred Schoorl, director of the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects at the Renovation Exhibition 2012. The first platform roofs will be completed in Q2 2012.

08 03 12

On the 8 th of march Dipl.-Ing. Markus Sporer will be lecturing at the AIT Akustik-Symposion 2012. The theme is ‘Unerhörte Räume – Raumakustik zwischen Sounddesign & Maskierung’. The need for acoustic effective architecture will be discussed. What are the possibilities of the newest techniques and how can architectural requirements, acoustic research and production techniques be combined in an integrated product development process? Sporer will elaborate on the subject with Kulturbau Koblenz as an example. For more information, see here.

29 02 12

With a wide view over the Amsterdam Science Park the topping out ceremony was celebrated for the Equinix AM3 Datacenter. The start of the construction was celebrated in September last year and already the topping out ceremony has become a fact. With an audience of client, contractors, builders and architects the flag was raised at a height of 24 meters, accompanied by a little breeze. Speeches were given, among others by Michiel Eielts, director of Equinix Nederland. The completion of the innovative building (phase one) is scheduled for Q3 2012.

10 02 12

Friday afternoon the exposition ‘700.000 vondsten uit de Amstel’ (700.000 findings from the Amstel) was opened in the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam. The photo exposition with the subtitle The river as a mirror of the city: archeology of the North/South Line, shows the process of recovering, sorting and researching the many findings of the bureau Monuments and archeology of the City of Amsterdam. During the deep drilling of tunnels  for the construction of the North/South Line builders found among other things, pots, vases and animal remains. These objects tell a story about the history of Amsterdam, when the river the Amstel still flowed where the Rokin is situated today. Because inhabitants of Amsterdam used the river to get rid of their litter for centuries, the findings tell us something about the way of living and working back to the twelfth century. Watch the 3D animation here that was made especially for the opening.

07 02 12

In freezing temperatures of -10 ° C the ‘indoor’- topping out ceremony of the Kulturbau in Koblenz took place. Speeches were given for the 300 guests, among others by professor doctor Joachim Hofmann-Göttig, mayor of Koblenz. After the traditional Richtspruch the Richtkranz was hoisted with a winch in the centre of the building to 30 metres high. Benthem Crouwel was mentioned in a verse from the ‘Richtspruch’:

Benthem Crouwel, das sehen wir heute,
war die richtige Entscheidung, liebe Leute.
Ihr Entwurf, der war nicht nur der Beste,
er ist auch der Grund für’s heut’ge Feste.

Completion of the building is expected in 2013.

03 02 12

The construction of the New Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam has been completed. The renovation of the old part was already finalized in 2010 and the eye-catching façade was completed in November last year. The next phase is the installation of the catering, retail and other public facilities and in the following months the time-consuming tuning of the climate system will take place. When this process is finished, the relocation of the art objects starts. The grand re-opening of the Stedelijk Museum is planned in the second half of 2012.  

26 01 12

The Crowns, the up and coming rockband from Amsterdam, gave away an amazing private show at the Benthem Crouwel Lab. The Crowns were selected by 3FM as new Serious Talent and performed at multiple radio shows, including Giel’s famed morning show & MetMichiel. Their latest single was debuted on the Dutch prime time TV show De Wereld Draait Door and their video’s on youtube know glory days. In between their jamming, rehearsing and rocking to the top, they found the time to perform at the Benthem Crouwel office. For more information about The Crowns, click here.

19 01 12

Holland Composites, the company that has built the façade of the Stedelijk Museum, made a movie about how this impressive piece of work came into existence. Click here to see.

01 01 12

Best wishes for 2012

22 12 11

Crescendo, the residential building in Venlo, is completed. It covers nearly 25,000 m2 gross floor area and consists of 74 luxury apartments, 42 assisted living apartments, five group homes, several commercial and healthcare-related facilities and underground parking. The surrounding area and the vision behind the complex played an important role with the design. Crescendo is located between the wide green of the floodplains of the Maas, a park to be built and the architectural and cultural historical important building; the Nedinsco-factory. The city center is on one side, a residential area on the other side. At Crescendo a high quality of living is combined with all levels of care. It is build life-proof, so the houses are suitable for all life stages. A pleasant, secure environment is created, where residents can feel at home.

13 12 11

On January 11th 2012 over 1,000 participants are expected in Essen for the sixth International Architectural Congress, titled ‘New building with steel - spans, structures, visions’. Internationally-renowned architects and engineers will present current projects and future needs for innovative architecture with long steel span structures.
Mels Crouwel will lecture about visions of urban culture and continuous building with steel. www.stahl-info.de

02 12 11

Port City 3 in the Waalhaven, Rotterdam is nominated for the Rotterdam Architecture Award 2011. This year the theme of the award is commercial and industrial building. The prize is two-fold; a professional award given by a professional jury and an audience award, given by the inhabitants of Rotterdam who can vote online http://www.rotterdam.nl/architectuurprijs.

01 12 11

Joost Vos lectures during the project visit of the IJsei. The new IJ Hall presents a natural counterpart to Cuypers' original station concourse and makes the connection with the new neighborhoods along the IJ and in Amsterdam Noord. For more information: www.bouwenmetstaal.nl/ projectbezoek

25 11 11

The façade of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam has been unveiled. Friday afternoon, just when dusk set in, the spectacular white main entrance of the museum was officially revealed by means of a lightshow. Speeches were given by the Alderman of Culture of the city of Amsterdam, the director of the museum and the director of the main sponsor, Teijin. The Stedelijk Museum is the first museum that has its entry at the Museumplein. The wing-shaped, cantilevered roof enhances the open transition from Museumplein to the museum and removes any doubts about the location of the main entrance.

24 11 11

The topping out ceremony marked reaching the highest point of Rotterdam Central Station. In march 2011 the building of the steel construction has started. Yesterday the final truss was placed at a height of 30 meters.  The building of the new public transport terminal is progressing rapidly and the opening of the new Central Station is expected in 2013.

21 11 11

The first part of the North/South line has been put into use, albeit with a temporary finish. The hall that will connect all metro lines - east/west and north/south - is officially opened today. 90.000 Passengers will spread out from this hall into Amsterdam. The building of the metro station underneath Amsterdam Central Station, at a depth of 18 meters, is still in progress.

15 11 11

The Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA) has been nominated for the Hedy D’Ancona Prize 2012. The jury, chaired by Koen van Velsen, has nominated six final projects for outstanding care architecture from no less than 101 entries. The award focuses specifically on the healthcare sector buildings in which urban design, garden and landscape architecture, architecture and/ or interior architecture, support the care concept. Early 2012  all projects are visited by the jury during expert location visits. Halfway next year the winner of the Hedy d'Ancona Prize will be announced.

04 11 11

Benthem Crouwel has won a multiple assignment for a four star hotel in Aachen on the site of the former football field of Alemannia Aachen. The building has a façade of vertical glass fins in a range of colors which addresses both the position at a traffic dominated entrance to the center of Aachen and the proximity to the CHIO area where the World Equestrian Festival is taking place.

06 10 11

A design team consisting of Benthem Crouwel Architects, traffic and cost specialists of Tyréns engineers and landscape architects Mandaworks, both of Malmö, Sweden, have presented their vision on the urban redevelopment of the central station’s area of Lund City, Sweden.
For more information, please refer to www.lund.se and the news item '01 07 11' on this site.

29 09 11

The official start of construction on the Equinix AM3 datacenter was celebrated by pouring the first concrete foundation. The complex will be built by contractor UDD (UnicaDuraVermeerDatacenters) and consists of a data building and an entrance- and office building. Delivery of the first phase is scheduled for September 2012.

21 09 11

Jan Benthem lectures on the symposium 'Station Centraal' at the TU Delft Faculty of Architecture about public transport terminals for the future. Until the end of September, a public exhibition on 10 major station projects in the Netherlands and Belgium will also be presented: www.stationcentraal.eu/.

14 09 11

A huge crowd attended and celebrated the ‘Richtfest’ of the new shopping mall Forum Mittelrhein at Zentralplatz in Koblenz. The mall that Benthem Crouwel designed for ECE will open September 2012.

11 09 11

Architect Job Schroën has held a new workshop for children at the Stedelijk Museum. This time the children made small museum halls out of plywood. After a hard day’s work the result was tremendous.
Photographs by: Tomek Dersu Aaron Whitfield