19 05 11
Mels Crouwel will give
a lecture ‘Architecture Design in Holland - Designing in the Dark' in the city of Krakow,
Poland. More information: designinginthedark.pl and w-a.pl.
18 05 11
Marten Wassmann will give a lecture with the title 'Raum denken - Raum gestalten - Raum erleben' (Thinking Space - Creating Space - Experiencing Space), on invitation by Lichtakademie Bartenbach, Rinner Straße 14, 6071 Aldrans / Innsbruck in Austria.
The lecture will start at 19.00 hrs at the auditorium (Aula) of the academy. Reservations can be made through lichtakademie@bartenbach.com.
18 04 11
Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen (infrastructure and environment) gave the signal to start construction of the new public transport terminal of the Hague.
Walk through the new terminal here: Virtual tour Den Haag Nieuw Centraal.
15 04 11
Port City 2 and 3, Rotterdam, are nominated for the ‘BNA Building of the year 2011’ award!
‘The jury is impressed by the simple subtlety and consistent elaboration of these two powerful office buildings. No idle standardization, but thoughtful and balanced. The buildings stand firm in their surroundings, show clear visual properties, they have open configurations, the floor plans are well defined, the use of materials is fine, with clear details, truly everything has been developed with care. They are simply VERY GOOD.’
01 04 11
Construction of the fourth roof of Amsterdam Central Station has started. The contractor works 7 days a week, and often through the night, to build the roof as fast as possible. It is expected that three-quarters of the 360 metre long roof will be completed by the end of 2011. The missing middle part of the roof will be completed in 2013, after finishing the northern part of the North/Southline metro station Central Station.
11 03 11
The design competition for the revitalization of the historic heart of the Swedish lakeside town of Vänersborg has been won by a team consisting of Benthem Crouwel Architects, landscape architects Mandaworks and artist David Svensson, both of Malmö, Sweden. The historic so-called Kulturaxeln (cultural axis) originates from an ingenious urban layout dating from the early 19th century. Kulturaxeln’s redevelopment will re-strengthen the cultural and economic status of the town, a prerequisite for a successful sustainable urban expansion, that is already underway: www.arkitekt.se.
10 03 11
Construction of the bicycle and pedestrian tunnel at Amsterdam Central Station will start this weekend. The 110m long passageway underneath the train tracks connects the inner city with the IJ-river. The design, in cooperation with Merkx + Girod, consists of two C-formed parts marking the division between both users. Floor, wall and ceiling of the pedestrian path are clad in hand formed tiles of traditional size and contain a graphical image by Irma Boom Office.
26 01 11
Construction on site of Benthem Crouwel's shopping mall on the Zentralplatz square in Koblenz has started. Besides the shopping mall, the redevelopment of the square also contains a municipal building for culture, which is also designed by Benthem Crouwel. See: www.koblenz.de.
24 01 11
Construction of Utrecht Central Station started. Minister of Infrastructure and Environment Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Mayor Aleid Wolfsen, Prorail director Bert Klerk and NS director Bert Meerstadt carried out the ceremony on site. The station will be built for 100 million passengers. The opening is planned in 2015.
10 01 11
Benthem Crouwel has won the competition for the new Faculty of Law building (Grotiusgebouw) for the Radboud University Nijmegen. The new building is the first on the Heyendaal Zuid site that is to be redeveloped as a University Campus. The 12.500 m² building (+ 400 parking) will have a BREEAM Excellent score. Benthem Crouwel formed a design team with participation of Karres en Brands for landscaping, Bouwadviesbureau Strackee for civil engineering, Ingenieursbureau Nelissen for mechanical and electrical engineering and building physics and IGG for cost consulting. Completion is scheduled for end of 2013.
20 12 10
Benthem Crouwel architect Job Schroën gave a number of workshops at the Stedelijk Museum. During the workshops 'old or new?' and 'dive into the bathtub', children took a look at the design of the 'bathtub' and created their own models of the new museum. Photographs: Simone Philipsen
20 12 10
Benthem Crouwel's Deutsches Bergbau Museum has won the award 'Auszeichnung guter Bauten NRW 2010'. The competition of the Bund Deutscher Architekten Bochum, Hattingen, Herne und Witten takes place every four years. The project is furthermore nominated for the 'Architecture Award NRW', held in September 2011.
14 12 10
Benthem Crouwel won the first prize in a competition for a climbing tower in Cologne. The 76m high 'Kölner Nordwand' is situated next to Benthem Crouwel's Etrium building and defines the entrance to the Triotop site. The tower is constructed as an open steel structure covered with 3 webs to climb in. Additional functions such as cafe and sauna are hosted in the glass boxes. More info: www.etrium.de, www.triotop-koeln.de.
08 12 10
Construction on site has started of the new Fletcher Tower Hotel along highway A2 in Amsterdam. The iconic round tower has a double skin facade, with a pattern of overlapping blue circles printed on the outer glass layer. From the sky-lounge on top, one has a magnificent view over Amsterdam.
22 11 10
The Muiderbrug has won an honourable mention in the ECSN Concrete Award of Excellence Competition 2010; www.ecsn.net.
08 11 10
The extension of the Deutsches Bergbau Museum in Bochum has won the first prize in the category 'new building' of the Ecola Award.
The Ecola (European conference of leading architects) Award is an award for the use of render/plaster in architecture. See: www.ecola-award.eu and www.bergbaumuseum.de.
15 10 10
The Wilo
building has won the Nationale Staalprijs 2010 / National Steelprize 2010. In the category industrial buildings the jury
praised the building for its careful, consistent and convincing design.
The merits of the principal, Wilo Netherlands,
for realising this unique building are specifically mentioned in the jury
report. More information: www.bouwenmetstaal.nl
20 07 10
For the exhibition Fashion & Architecture at ARCAM, fashion designer Iris van Herpen created together with Benthem Crouwel the dress 'Water'. Source of inspiration for the design is the 'bathtub' of the new Stedelijk Museum. See: www.youtube.com, www.arcam.nl and www.irisvanherpen.com.
07 07 10
The renovated building of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam was presented to the press. The old building will be temporary used from August 28, 2010 until January 9, 2011 for 'Temporary Stedelijk'. The grand opening of the completely renewed museum is in 2011.
25 05 10
Construction of The Hague Central Station started. The ground-breaking ceremony has been carried out by the Minister of Transport Camiel Eurlings, alderman Marnix Norder and contractor Gert Jan Vos of Strukton. The opening of the new public transport terminal is expected in 2013.
27 04 10
Space.City Lecture: Mels Crouwel at Seattle Central Library. Come hear how Dutch firm Benthem Crouwel has tackled big infrastructure projects and how they built several public projects at landmark locations. Also presented the English edition of BC AD, the most recent book of Benthem Crouwel. More information: http://spacecityseattle.org
22 04 10
Company building Wilo was one of the three finalists of the 'Parteon Architectuurprijs Zaanstreek 2008/09'. According to the jury Wilo is a sustainable building that embodies technical ingenuity and the dynamism of the 21st century: ''real roadside architecture.'' The jury whishes that all company buildings would attain the architectural level of Wilo. A housing complex, Schepenhof, a design by AWG Architecten, was chosen to be the winning project.
21 04 10
The exhibition of the submissions for the Dance and Music Center at The Hague town hall is open to the public until May 7. Among the sixteen entries is Benthem Crouwel/ Merkx + Girod’s spectacular 'bubble' design. May 21 it will be announced which three designs go to the final stage of the competition. See also: www.denhaag.nl
16 04 10
Construction of the Amsterdam Ziggo Dome started. The ground-breaking ceremony has been carried out by aldermen Carolien Gehrels and Maarten van Poelgeest. The new concert hall in Amsterdam is mainly intended for pop music and has capacity for 15.600 visitors. The building will have a facade of red, green and blue LED light fittings, which will allow images to be displayed on the entire building. Opening is expected beginning 2011, but the ‘first’ concert is already given by Roel van Velzen. See also: www.ziggodome.nl Hear architect Job Schroen on: radio2.
24 03 10
The extension of the German Mining Museum in Bochum is one of the new symbols of the Ruhr Area, this year’s Capital of Culture. In this context the museum will be presented and discussed by the Architektenkammer Nordrhein-Westfalen, during the so called Architekturquartett. More information: www.aknw.de and www.baunetz.de
19 03 10
RAI Elicium and pop centre Metropool both nominated Building of the year by the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects. See also www.bnagebouwvanhetjaar.nl.
19 03 10
From March 20 until May 1 the nominees of this year’s Amsterdam Architecture Prize, the 'Gouden A.A.P.' 2010, are shown at an exhibition at ARCAM Amsterdam Centre for Architecture. The RAI Elicium is one of the nominated projects and is also presented in the publication Architecture 2009-2010. April 7 the 'Gouden A.A.P.' will be awarded to the best project realized in Amsterdam in 2009. More information: www.arcam.nl
18 03 10
The new connection for cyclists on the A1 over the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal, built as an separate bridge on the northern side of the Muiderbridge, is completed. This independent cycle bridge, linking Amsterdam and the Gooi and Vecht area, has its structure beneath the surface (a continuous girder supported at two points), which is uncommon for spans of 300 metres. In these exposed conditions, where cars zoom by and container ships pass below, cyclists are protected from wind, feel save and can enjoy the views over the flat Dutch landscape.
17 03 10
De kans te bouwen
Exactly 25 years after being broadcast by the VPRO, ARCAM architecture centre Amsterdam shows the documentary ‘The opportunity to build’, a portrait of the four beginning architects Francine Houben, Jo Coenen, Frits van Dongen and Jan Benthem. After the presentation the architects will discuss the current and future position of the architect, in light of what has happened the past 25 years. More information: www.arcam.nl
01 03 10
By pouring concrete in the foundation of the first pylon, the Minister of Transport Camiel Eurlings started the construction of the spectacular roof of Rotterdam Central Station. This largely transparent roof and solar collector that covers a length of around 250 metres, replaces the original covering of each individual platform. The opening of the new Central Station is expected in 2013.
26 02 10
First metro station North/South Line finished.
The main structure of metro station Europaplein RAI is completed. Eight stations (three above and five below ground) will connect Amsterdam North to the city centre and the South Axis business district in 2017.
04 02 10
Lecture by Jan Benthem about complex commissions at the Netherlands Architecture Institute in Rotterdam. The lecture starts at 20.00 and is open to all interested. More information: www.nai.nl
The same day Mels Crouwel lectures at Bayreuth (Germany). Subject is sustainability. More information: www.regierung.oberfranken.bayern.de
27 01 10
NS Poort, ProRail and the city of Amsterdam signed an agreement for the renewal of Stationseiland and Amsterdam CS. All public transport will be integrated: train, bus, metro, and water transport. The existing station by Pierre Cuypers (1881-1889) will be restored and expanded. The new NorthSouth-Line metro station is underneath the heart of the station.
17 12 09
Out Now BC AD, Benthem Crouwel 1979-2009, a spectacular publication of 010 Publishers. BC AD offers a refreshing new look at the substantial body of work and illuminates the firm’s way of working. With contributions from John Körmeling, Hans Oldewarris, Johannes Schwartz, Koen van Velsen, Roy Villevoye, Marijke van Warmerdam and Edwin Zwakman. The publication is available in bookstores or ordered through www.010.nl. See also www.athenaeum.nl and www.architectura.nl.
12 12 09
Alderman Hans Gerson, responsible for Traffic, Transport and Infrastructure, opened the first phase of the new bus station on the IJ side of Amsterdam Central Station. The bus station is part of the transformation of Stationseiland, the island on which Amsterdam Central Station stands. In the next years the existing station complex by Pierre Cuypers (1881-1889) will be upgraded. All the different kinds of public transport will be weaved together and the main station square will be cleared up. Bus platforms at the same level as train platforms create optimal connections between bus, train and metro. An almost entirely glazed fourth 365-metre long roof will covers the bus station and the pedestrian precinct along the IJ. Completion of the hole transformation, including the new North-South metro line, is expected in 2017.
04 12 09
'Schwarzer Diamant', the extension of the German Mining Museum, one of the most popular museums in Germany, is completed. The new museum in Bochum opened with the exhibition 'Glück auf! Ruhrgebiet - Der Steinkohlenbergbau nach 1945'. The new building is literally a cross-section of a mine: a solid, dark, black cube with illuminated passages and mine shafts. Next year the Ruhr Area is the European Capital of Culture: RUHR.2010. See also www.wdr.de, www.ruhr2010.de and www.bergbaumuseum.de.
18 11 09
The Muiderbrug has been awarded the Dutch Concrete Prize 2009 in the category construction. The jury praised the choice of prefabricated elements for the two 70 meter pylons, allowing the realization of the bridge without too much obstruction for the traffic. Benthem Crouwel designed the bridge in corporation with the engineers of client Rijkswaterstaat (Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management). Contractor is CFE Nederland. See: www.betonvereniging.nl
04 11 09
Pop and cultural centre Metropool in Hengelo opened its doors with a concert of the New Cool Collective. The building houses two pop auditoria, a grand cafe, practice studios and offices.
26 10 09
The B.C.P. Jansen Instituut of the University of Amsterdam is completed. An existing concrete office structure is partly re-used and expanded with new auditorium spaces and transparent lobbies.
14 10 09
At the stand of 010 Publishers, at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the dummy of Benthem Crouwel's new book BC AD is launched. BC AD will be published end of November.
13 10 09
Benthem Crouwel’s project Las Palmas in Rotterdam has won the Benelux Aluminium in Renovation Award competition 2009 in the category 'Non-residential'. Organised by the Aluminium Centrum in Houten, the Netherlands, in cooperation with the Belgium Aluminium Association, the award was presented to the office by head of the jury, Mr Prof. Jan Brouwer.
05 10 09
On Central Europe's largest annual real estate trade fair Expo Real in Munich/Germany, Benthem Crouwel's design for the redevelopment of Zentralplatz square in Koblenz on the river Rhine, Germany, has been presented to the public on the stand of client ECE Projektmanagement of Hamburg. The design comprises a 20.000 m² shopping centre as well as a municipal building for culture, which will hold a regional museum, the city's main library and the central tourist information. The project received a gold label distinguishing for sustainable design from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen (DGNB) for the efforts already taken in the design stage to achieve highest standards of sustainability in the project.
29 09 09
His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange has opened the Elicium building. Visible from the A10 ring motorway of Amsterdam, the Elicium building is the new landmark for Amsterdam RAI exhibition and congress centre and the ‘final piece’ of the famous Plan Zuid of H.P. Berlage. A characteristic shape and innovative façade cladding distinguishes this most recent extension to the RAI. See also: www.volkskrant.nl/Elicium_kust_de_RAI_wakker and www.rai-elicium.nl
23 09 09
Construction Crescendo in progress. The elderly housing project in Venlo will be completed in 2011.
14 09 09
On Monday September 14th the groundbreaking ceremony for the Excellence Parking took place. This exceptional parking garage is situated next to the terminal of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and will be connected to it directly, thus offering travelers a luxury parking facility and efficient check-in. The design by Benthem Crouwel NACO focuses on light and comfort. The building will be finished in spring 2010.
01 09 09
One for the road!
Muiderbrug reaches highest point. Two 70 meter pylons are set almost square to the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal and lean diagonally across the bridge, a step towards an imaginary arc on both the highway A1 and the canal. A new river crossing for cyclists is to be added on the north side of the bridge.
28-30 08 09
At the Uitmarkt, the start of the Dutch cultural season in Amsterdam, the Stedelijk distributed new promotional bags.
27-28 06 09
The Dag van de Architectuur 2009 takes place. Theme this year: Architecture and Mobility. During these two days the public can see different major infrastructure developments up close, including the building sites of the new Central Stations. Benthem Crouwel designed some of them: Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague and the new underground railway station in Delft. See for more information about the open day: www.dagvandearchitectuur.nl
15 06 09
Richtfest ceremony to mark the highest point of the German Mining Museum in Bochum. Director of the museum, Mr. Professor Rainer Slotta and mayor of the city of Bochum, Mrs. Dr. Ottilie Scholz performed the celebration. The 'black diamond', as the new building is called in the German media, forms a cross-section of a mine: dark with illuminated mine galleries and shafts. The new museum will open end of this year.
10 06 09
Topping out ceremony to mark the highest point (60 metres) of the new faculty building for the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA). ACTA is situated on the ambitious development area Zuidas in Amsterdam, overlooking the A10 motorway that encircles the city. The layout of the building, with a bright and inviting central space, is largely geared to the education and research needs of the 850 students, the employees and the 600 patients who are treated daily.
06 06 09
Saturday the 6th of June the ‘Dag van de Bouw’ takes place. Various building sites are open this day. In Amsterdam the public can also get a glimpse of projects of Benthem Crouwel: Amsterdam Central Station and the North-South subway line. The new subway line is Amsterdam’s biggest building project at the moment. Benthem Crouwel made the design for the stations, of which five are underground and linked by a bored tunnel. The project is not only very demanding technically, it also needs extremely careful integration in the existing historic urban texture. See for more information about the open day: http://www.dagvandebouw.nl
13 05 09
The Las Palmas complex in Rotterdam has been awarded the Dutch National Renovation Prize in the category 'commercial and industrial buildings'. The biannual prize is being awarded to the most successful renovation projects in the country. The former main workshops building to the Holland Amerika steamship line, Las Palmas is situated on Rotterdam's new city extension on the south bank of River Maas. Benthem Crouwel Architects has transformed the building into a multifunctional complex. After a building period of two years, it now is the new home to cultural and creative as well as commercial tenants. As a dazzling eye-catcher the new penthouse roof extension anchors the renewed Las Palmas complex in the skyline of the barely 0.1 km² large Wilhelminapier, the future Manhattan of the Netherlands. An excerpt from the jury's verdict reads: 'we are convinced of the building's new appearance, realised through the specialist renovation approach on the existing [1950's] building by architects Van den Broek en Bakema, as well as through the design of the new rooftop extension.' See: www.nationalerenovatieprijs.nl.
25 04 09
Benthem Crouwel architect Job Schroën and his team have again won the Martens building competition. Six teams were selected to build their bridge out of pre-fab concrete elements in one day, and test them to their breaking point the day after. The bridge could resist 44,5 tons of weight, after which the organization ran out of ballast, and the bridge was the only one still standing. The team also won the prize for the most appealing design. More details are published on http://www.bouwwedstrijd.eu.
09 04 09
Villa Arena has a new feature: a cinema for children. In this cinema, also a design of Benthem Crouwel, recent films are shown during opening hours of the home furnishing centre. The elegant, futuristic shape of the cinema fits well with the experiences of children and enriches the Villa Arena with an additional eye-catcher.
08 04 09
Benthem Crouwel has won two limited competitions.
The winning design for the Ponte Palazzo pedestrian bridge in 's-Hertogenbosch makes a connection between the so called Paleiskwartier and the old city centre. The bridge is a park, similar to the Highline in New York and the Promenade Plantee in Paris, constructed out of folded weathering steel. The jury enthusiastically stated: 'The robust appearance in combination with the chosen colour and material is a monumental design that fits the city of 's-Hertogenbosch.'
Benthem Crouwel also won the first prize in a limited competition for a new visitor and research centre at the headquarter of the Heimbach Group in Düren. The Heimbach Group was founded in and produces technical textiles and paper machine clothing with production sites and sales offices in different European countries and Singapore. Two historical monuments, the cradle of the company, had to be integrated into the scheme. The winning scheme is a compact ensemble of four buildings with different functions which create an inner courtyard are covered by a floating white roof which refers to the main product of the global acting company.
27 03 09
Topping up ceremony for Metropool in Hengelo. Architect Marleen van Driel raised the flag, observed by the builders, Hengelo’s Alderman of Culture and the staff of the new stage for pop music.
16 03 09
Today the last pole for Port City 2 and 3, two office buildings in the Waalhaven Rotterdam designed by Benthem Crouwel, is celebrated. This ground breaking ceremony took place in presence of the famous Dutch vocalist and ‘ambassador’ of the harbour in Rotterdam Lee Towers. The buildings are part of a complex of office buildings, standing on a public ‘deck’, with a parking garage underneath.
The design is inspired by the spectacular view of the harbour with it's colourful containers, cranes, ships and silo’s. The project must set an example for new developments in the Waalhaven. The opening of Port City 2 and 3 is expected in spring 2010.
23 02 09
The new building for the Academic Centre for Dentistry is under construction. This week, in the evening, the six steel frames of the cantilever block on top of the already built seven-storey base will be installed. You can get a view of this impressive construction on the webcam http://212.123.205.51/view/index.shtml. The building will be taken into use in 2010.
28 01 09
The new concert hall in Amsterdam is called Ziggo Dome, named after the new sponsor. The hall, a design of Benthem Crouwel, is mainly intended for pop music and has capacity for 15.600 visitors. The Dome is situated next to the Villa Arena home furnishing centre, also a design of Benthem Crouwel. Opening is expected beginning 2011.
28 01 09
On January the 15th 2009, client Rainer Schäfer from STRABAG Real Estate introduced the concept for the ‘Bel Etage’ to the public in Aachen. This project is located in the city center of Aachen and will create space for high-grade retail which is situated around an ‘expanded urban space’. The top floor will accommodate restaurants and bars, which have direct access to a grand roof terrace with a spectacular view to the Aachen Cathedral and the historical town hall. The concept is based on the design of Benthem Crouwel Architects, which was awarded the first price in a competition, held in June 2006.
27 01 09
The new extension of P60 – a venue for pop music, culture and media - is official opened by Frans Hellendall, Alderman for Culture of the city of Amstelveen. The opening took place a year after the groundbreaking ceremony. The extension includes a covered load- and unload dock, 3 studios, 2 backstage spaces and offices.
12 01 09
Client Anton Bausinger received the first golden ‘Gütesiegel’ from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen (DGNB) for the Etrium, the headquarters of Econcern, Cologne. The Etrium is the first building of Benthem Crouwel in Germany and the first ‘Passivhaus’ office building in Nordrhein-Westfalen. The rating was done by Gerhard Hoffmann and his ifes (Institut für angewandte Energie- und Strömungssimulation). They received the ‘medal’ from the German minister for building, Wolfgang Tiefensee, and Werner Sobeck, the president of the DGNB during the convention ‘Bauen für die Zukunft – nachhaltig und energieeffizient’ in Munich. The golden ‘Gütesiegel’ is in Germany the highest rate for sustainability. The German certification standard commands higher requirements than for example LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
19 12 08
Carolien Gehrels, Alderman of Culture of the City of Amsterdam and its representative as client for the building work at the museum, attended a ceremony to mark the completion of excavations for the Stedelijk's new annex. She spoke briefly about the construction process and schedule, announcing that the hand-over of the entire building is expected to take place in December 2009, after which the museum can re-open to the public in March/April 2010. The completion of the foundations is an important milestone: now that the basement has also been pumped out and the roof can be made watertight, it will be possible to position the steel skeleton of the 'bathtub' and cover it with Twaron fibre panels. This will be accomplished in 2009. The construction process can be followed via www.stedelijkindestad.nl, with short films about the building work, an animation of the new building and interviews with Mels Crouwel and others.
13 12 08
The exhibition Holy Inspiration, religion and spirituality in modern art. Stedelijk Museum in De Nieuwe Kerk started. The Stedelijk Museum shows over 80 highlights from its collection in De Nieuwe Kerk on the Dam in Amsterdam. Many of the works displayed by Mondriaan, Malevich, Chagall, Schnabel, Barnett Newman, Rothko, Bacon, Gilbert & George, Mike Kelley and Marlene Dumas have not been seen for years and are now taken on a different dimension in the context of De Nieuwe Kerk. Benthem Crouwel, together with Concern, is responsible for the design: exhibition spaces in the form of a red cross, placed in the centre of the huge vertical space of the church.
10-11 12 08
As designers of the refurbishment and extension of the New Stedelijk Museum, Benthem Crouwel participated in the Design Week of the Hong Kong Design Centre; Asia’s leading international conference dedicated to design, brand and innovation. Benthem Crouwel contributed to the exhibition and to a Forum session. On December 10th, the exhibition was officially opened in presence of guests of honour Mr. Hon. Timothy Fok Tsun Ting and drs. Robert Schuddeboom, Consul General at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong. The three-part Forum event was held at Innocentre, Kow Loon on December the 11th. Here Ingeborg de Roode, curator at the Stedelijk Museum, Marten Wassmann, partner at Benthem Crouwel and Gilian Schrofer, designer of the museum’s restaurant facilities, gave lectures about the New Stedelijk Museum.
08 12 08
After only 15 months of planning and construction the Etrium, the new German headquarter of Econcern in Cologne, has been committed to the user. The grand opening of this first office building in Cologne that is qualified as a 'passive house', took place with the attendance of federal state secretary of commerce Mrs. Christa Thoben and the mayor of the city of Cologne, Mr. Fritz Schramma. Econcern, a market leader in sustainable energy, wants Etrium to set an example. Etrium consumes something like a fifth of the energy used by comparable office complexes. The building has three storeys ranged round an atrium, a spectacular glass-covered court drawing daylight and air into the entire building.
25 11 08
The Las Palmas redevelopment project in Rotterdam has won the Job Dura Prize 2008. According to the jury, the project is an 'exemplary restoration and redevelopment of a listed building'. Besides for a thorough renovation of the edifice, originally designed by architectural firm Van den Broek en Bakema of Rotterdam in the 1950’s, Benthem Crouwel was responsible for the design of a new roof extension, the so-called Penthouse Las Palmas. 'An important improvement in quality of the Rotterdam skyline', the jury’s verdict states, 'the Penthouse has turned the complex into an icon'. More details on the Prize are published on http://www.jobdurafonds.nl
See the ‘Culture’ and ‘Office’ sections of our website for further information on the Las Palmas project.
04 11 08
P60, a venue for pop music, culture and media in Amstelveen, has been enlarged. An increase in the number of visitors and performances necessitated the construction of an extension at the rear. Since it first opened in 2001, P60 has grown into a major venue with some 40,000 visitors and 160 activities each year. The new extension, which contains a sheltered loading bay, a new backstage, offices and rehearsal rooms, is to allow operations to proceed more smoothly. The demand for rehearsal space has been met in pioneering spirit by integrating studios in the new extension into the main supporting structure using the box-within-a-box principle. Dutch rock band De Dijk were the first to play in the redesigned P60 with a sell-out concert on October 16th.
17 10 08
Glück auf! Laying the foundation stone of the extension of Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum is celebrated. Director of the museum, Mr. Professor Rainer Slotta, mayor of the city of Bochum, Mrs. Dr. Ottilie Scholz, Mr. Ulrich Weber (Evonik Industries AG) and Markus Sporer, architect of Benthem Crouwel layed the foundation stone of the new building.The 'black diamond' will provide space for special exhibitions and events and for the existing exhibition of the portrait of St. Barbara, the most important patroness of the miners. It will be completed in the summer of 2009.
15 10 08
Jan Benthem researching the stability of his new house. Today construction started at the shipyard. The house, which will be finished in summer 2009, will be part of the experimental floating city Steigereiland on IJburg, the new suburb in the IJmeer of Amsterdam.
06 10 08
The municipality of Venlo has granted planning permission for the Maaswaard elderly housing project. Sited along the River Maas, this complex of sheltered housing for the elderly offers a wide array of living arrangements (group living, extra care apartments, independent apartments for rent), social and health services, and shops and amenities. This is in response to the increasing demand among today's elderly for assisted or independent living combined with high-grade care and other facilities. The design, a four-storey base building from which rise towers of a further three to seven storeys, locks into the surroundings and the public park. The whole sits atop an underground parking facility. Construction of the complex is to begin in April 2009 with completion scheduled for 2011.
20 07 08
The House of Jan Benthem in Almere is showed on the exhibition Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling at The Museum of Modern Art, MoMA in New York. The exhibition comprises a survey of the history of the prefabricated home and a building project of 5 contemporary prefabricated houses in the Museum's Fifty-fourth Street lot (www.moma.org/homedelivery).
01 07 08
In Hangar 6 of Valkenburg Navy Airport, Chief Government Architect Mels Crouwel and the Board of Government Advisors Fons Asselbergs, Jan Brouwer and Dirk Sijmons, said goodbye. The new Chief Government Architect Liesbeth van der Pol will take up the post on 15 August 2008.
23 06 08
After over 10 years of planning, design and preparations the first tangible signs of the new roof on the IJ-side of Amsterdam Central Station are now visible. At the Soester Gieterij in Almere the first test pieces of the cast steel ends of the trusses have been made. These parts together with the cast iron parts on the quay and the bus platform form a hinge point and together weigh some nine-hundred kilos. The first truss will be mounted in situ in November 2008 by the contractors consortium Strukton Hollandia.
12 06 08
Mrs. Dr. Ottilie Scholz (mayor of the city of Bochum), Mr. Ulrich Weber (Evonik Industries AG) and Mr. Professor Rainer Slotta (director Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum) performed the '1. Spatenstich' (ground breaking ceremony) for the extension of Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum. The 'black diamond', as the new building is called by the German media, will be completed in 2009. It will contain space for special exhibitions and for the existing exhibition of the portrait of St. Barbara, the most important patroness of the miners.
08 06 08
Benthem Crouwel has submitted the building proposal for the [ ] Dome to the Amsterdam council, after the Environmental Impact Report was approved by the council. The [ ] Dome will be a building mainly for pop music, with an audience capacity of 15,000. The building will have a facade of red, green and blue LED light fittings, which will allow images to be displayed on the entire building.
31 05 08
For the third time, the 'Dag van de Bouw' takes place. Various building sites throughout the Netherlands have an open day, to give the public the opportunity to take a close look at the construction of projects. In Amsterdam, the sites of Benthem Crouwel's ACTA, the Stedelijk Museum and the North/Southline are open to the public (www.dagvandebouw.nl).
30 05 08
Heating pump manufacturer Wilo Nederland was recently the centre of celebrations when the highest point of its new building was reached. Sited in HoogTij business park, the impressive steel structure was assembled in the shortest time and the building's contours became apparent. In the interior, the steel structure is to be kept in view. The building is scheduled for completion on October 1st, 2008.
20 04 08
Benthem Crouwel architect Job Schroën and his team 'Het gras aan de overkant' have won the Martens building competition (www.bouwwedstrijd.eu). The design for a 10m spanning construction was selected with 5 other entries to be build in one day. Tested for strength, the construction withstood a load of 16.800 kg, compared to 12.100kg and 2.600kg for the runners-up. The construction was also awarded the aesthetic prize.
15 04 08
Welcome to the stand of Benthem Crouwel
Architects exhibiting on the Passenger Terminal Expo 2008 in the Amsterdam RAI!
Have a comfortable seat and get an overview of all the terminal designs for public
transportation by Benthem Crouwel Architects.
This event takes place from 15th until 17th of April 2008 and is the largest international terminal
conference and exhibition in Europe. Additionaly Benthem Crouwel Architects draws the attention of the visitors for the new expofoyer building under construction, called Elicium, of the Amsterdam RAI.
07 04 08
Benthem Crouwel's project for the restoration and extension of the Las Palmas building in Rotterdam has been nominated for the annual national award for architecture 'BNA Gebouw van het Jaar 2008' (Building of the Year 2008). The Royal Institute of Dutch Architects (BNA) distinguishes approximately 25 of its members' projects with a nomination; the winner will be proclaimed on April 24, 2008 at a ceremony at Hilversum's Mediapark.
01 04 08
Benthem Crouwel is building in Amsterdam: the Elicium (Amsterdam RAI), the Academic Center Dentistry Amsterdam, the North/Southline subway stations, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and the B.C.P. Jansen Instituut.
06 03 08
Benthem Crouwel has won the first prize in the competition for the Zentralplatz square in Koblenz, Germany. After thorough municipal consideration, the designs of Benthem Crouwel turned out to be the best.
27 02 08
Frau Scho-Antwerpes, mayor of the city of Cologne, performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the Etrium, a highly energy efficient office building for the new headquarter of Econcern in Germany. The building provides ca. 3.650m² office space for up to 150 persons. It is designed conform the 'Passivhaus' standards and is the first office building in Cologne which will fit to these standards. The requirement of heating energy will be about one fifth to an average new office building; the demand of primary energy about 70% less to a comparable building.
18 02 08
The first pile was driven into the ground for the new building of Wilo Nederland at Hoogtij/Westzanerpolder in Zaandam. This building is one of the first developments on a prominent location along the entrance road to this new industrial ground. The tubular volume of the building cantilevers impressively over the water and refers to the core-business of the company as a producer of water pumps. Both the appearance of the construction and the sustainable, integrated installations, result in an innovative building which emphasis the ambitions of Wilo Nederland. Contractor of the new building is De Geus Bouw.
01 02 08
Pop center 013 in Tilburg
has been rebuilt; by moving the entrance and the wardrobe, a large lounge space
was created. The box-office is renewed and in the basement music room, a
practice space was included.
24 01 08
The Alderman
for Culture of Amstelveen, Frans Hellendall, has
performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the extension of pop podium P60. The
extension includes a covered load- and unload dock, 3 studios, 2 backstage
spaces and offices/archive. Opening is expected in June 2008.
Photograph: City of Amstelveen
10 01 08
Benthem Crouwel has won a shared first prize in an invited competition for a major development on Zentralplatz square in Koblenz, Germany. The program includes about 14500 m² gross floor area for cultural use. A striking solitary volume will hold a mediatheque, the Mittelrhein regional museum and a tourist centre. Adjacent to the cultural building a new shopping centre with about 40000 m² gross floor area and 1000 parking spaces is projected. The two prize winners have been asked to rework their designs. They will present the results to the clients, the city of Koblenz and developers ECE and Züblin, for final assessment.
13 12 07
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new pop- and culture podium Metropool was carried out. On the occasion of the festivities, André Manuel and his band performed. The new Metropool will be build on a new and excellent accessible location: directly behind the Central Station Twente. Opening is expected in September 2009.
02 11 07
Benthem Crouwel has been awarded the third prize in an international competition for a new shopping arcade on the rim of the historic city centre of Leipzig, Germany. The design for client mfi, of Essen, Germany, consisted of 120.000 m2 gross floor area including shops, housing, office spaces, a theatre, motel and a vantage point tower, along with parking facilities of a capacity of 900 vehicles.
17-20 10 07
Benthem Crouwel visited Rome; besides enjoying the city, the team worked at the care farm La Fattoria Verde where they renovated a barn and improved the animal shelters.
03 10 07
Former President Bill Clinton visited Penthouse Las Palmas to speak on the challenges of globalization and global warming. Through this occasion, the Penthouse has been brought into use.
03 09 07
The old station building of Rotterdam Central has been closed. Eventually, the building will be demolished. Until the opening of the new station, all travellers will make use of the temporary station.