The Netherlands Embassy Berlin by Michelle Howard and friends
November 28th, 2008 - Posted in Architecture Building, Residential architectureIn the wake of reunification, the German government decided to relocate the capital to Berlin. The Netherlands, having sold their former embassy site after the war, was free to choose anew. Roland Ufer in Mitte, the oldest Berlin settlement, next to the (new) government district of their main trade partner, was ultimately preferred.
The client demanded a solitary building, integrating requirements of conventional civil service security with Dutch openness.
Traditional (former West Berlin) city planning guidelines demanded the new building to complete the city block in 19th century fashion, the (former East Berlin) city planning officials had an open mind towards a proposal for a freestanding cube on a - block completing - podium.
As such, the design explores a combination of obedience (fulfilling the block’s perimeter) and disobedience (building a solitary cube).
A continuous trajectory reaching all eight stories of the embassy shapes the building’s internal communication.
This integration strategy is also used with the structural concept. The internal walls adjacent to the trajectory are load bearing beams that cross over each other enough to bring loads down. Hereby big open spaces are created on the lower floors of the building.
The access road between ‘cube’ and ‘residential wall’ acts as a courtyard- open on one side to a panoramic view over the Spree and the park. In order to emphasize the difference with the surrounding buildings which are clad with stone, the sockle and the wall with the residences are clad with aluminum.
Project Details
* Project: Netherlands Embassy Berlin
* Status: Commission 1997, Completion 2003
* Client: Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Dienst Gebouwen Buitenland, The Hague
* Location: Berlin-Mitte, Rolandufer / Klosterstrae
* Site: Facing street corner, park and riverfront
* Principal: Rem Koolhaas
* Project Architect: Michelle Howard, Gro Bonesmo, Erik Schotte (and Project Director)
* Structure: Royal Haskoning / Arup Berlin
* Services: Huygen Elwako / Arup Berlin
* Lighting: OVI, Washington DC, Berlin
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:19 pm
[...] The Netherlands Embassy Berlin by Michelle Howard and friends …In the wake of reunification, the German government decided to relocate the capital to Berlin. The Netherlands, having sold their former embassy site after the war, was free to choose anew. [...]