Nothing exudes charm and architectural interest like a reclaimed building. But what if this building is a building you have designed yourself, and needs to be adapted to the wishes of a new user? Same building, different user, new appearance. In short, that determined the transformation of the former Options Exchange into the NRC Headquarters. What …
Venturi once wrote, “It is all right to decorate construction but never construct decoration.” Architecture is unique for its inherent social and utilitarian value. The point has always been that functionality is inseparable from aesthetics in architecture, with the aim of creating inclusive, beautiful public spaces and cities that work for the benefit of their …
“The moment I grab a pencil, I am alone, with nothing but that pencil as the dearest friend and instrument of imagination. Drawing, with pencil or black ink on white paper, gives freedom. After all, a drawing only consists of a collection of lines and colours. A superficial viewer may see a representation, an image …
In the city portraits of Amsterdam from the seventeenth century, the city clearly shows its pride in its varied silhouette. Towers that determined the urban landscape from afar were further emphasized by depicting them higher than they really were, representing the power of the city, like artists’ impressions avant la lettre. Over the years, the …
What is good architecture? The answer is as complex as the question is simple. With pluriformity in opinions steadily growing, the relative nature of viewpoints increased. This issue presents itself in countless discourses, and notably when the subject of the quality of architecture comes up. Although there certainly are shared truths and clichés about partial …
