06 2019
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24/06 2019

Studio Visit at KAAN Architecten

In an ongoing series of Studio Visits hosted and curated by architectural offices in collaboration with Het Nieuwe Instituut, KAAN Architecten will open their doors and invite professionals, students and the broader public to cross the threshold, take a peek into the office and join the conversation. Save the date on 5 July!

In a recent lecture, co-founder Kees Kaan anticipated a reinstatement of the architect’s position in a highly collaborative field. “Today, design practice is all about explaining the project to numerous stakeholders,” he said. “Architects are used to negotiating, dealing with criticism, and explaining things. New 3D-modelling techniques, which allow the rapid production of multiple variations, diagrams, spreadsheets and presentations, have enabled architects to be in control of the design process once more.”

In this context, this Studio Visit will offer insight into how KAAN Architecten positions itself in a shifting architectural practice, from DBFMO (design, build, finance, maintain and operate) tenders to the use of new design techniques in the office. Participants will be introduced to the studio through a series of interactive sessions in which architects will uncover the layered process behind the making of the office’s projects.

More information on tickets and the programme can be found at the link.

Photograph by Simone Bossi.

21/06 2019

Listen to Change – Eyes and Ears of the City

Ahead of the 2019 Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (UABB), titled “Urban Interactions”, Kees Kaan joins the collective discussion on the evolving relationship between cities and technology. 

Opening in December 2019 in Shenzhen, China, UABB will feature two shows run by two independent curatorial teams. The “Eyes of the City” section, curated by MIT professor Carlo Ratti, investigates the way digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence will impact both urban life and architectural practices. In his statement as Foundational Contributor, Kees Kaan discusses what happens when the sensor-imbued city acquires the ability to see – almost as if it had eyes.

“Digital technology in the Information Age, and all its offspring, are having a significantly different effect on our lives than previous technological revolutions had. With the possibility to develop and produce in different and quicker ways, these new technologies allow us to use what we already have in a completely different manner. New technologies bear the promise of a more sustainable life.

The space that we move in will be aware of our presence and actions, and the vehicles we drive and the tools we use will be connected and communicate with us and each other directly. This opens a perspective on previously unimaginable possibilities of a different daily life coming true in the existing urban space. The future will not only be made of new buildings and spaces but will also reveal an entirely different use to what is already there.

Architects are ultimately interested in urban change caused by new ways of living and working, new infrastructure and urban facilities and different uses and management of public spaces. To be able to design for an unknown future we need to develop a proper understanding or informed intuition of this change. To predict the future based on what we know and can imagine today is hardly possible. However, it is possible to get a better understanding of what is already there and from that point onwards to identify and understand what is likely to change and what is not. Only then can we start to speculate on how to recover the future with architecture.

For planners/architects/designers, the challenge is to translate the impact of rapid changes – especially on energy, mobility, health and leisure – into planning and design questions. The question for us is: “how can the City of the Future be imagined? How can those smart innovations be introduced into the domain of architecture and urban design?”

By using Amsterdam as a living laboratory, graduate students, researchers and teachers have been exploring how these changes might affect this city. We aim to understand the structure of today’s Amsterdam, to explore possible future scenarios and to speculate on new architectural types and new ways of living in this city. By listening to the changes from the past, we foresee what is then coming.”

Find more information about the Biennale here.

06/06 2019

Day of Architecture and Day of Construction with KAAN Architecten

On Saturday, 15 June 2019, KAAN Architecten will participate in both the Day of Architecture and the Day of Construction. To mark this special day, our flagship projects in Rotterdam and Amsterdam will be open to the public.

From 11.00-17.00 h, guided tours will take place at De Bank, the Rotterdam office of KAAN Architecten. Meanwhile in Amsterdam, on the construction site of the new Courthouse, the project team will host the visitors from 10.00-16.00h and introduce the design of the building.

Explore the events here (Day of Architecture, Day of Construction)

03/06 2019

Work on KMSKA continues

Photographer Karin Borghouts continues her periodical visits to the site of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp where she captures instances of the ongoing renovation and extension. Explore the full photo report below!

Since the last construction update, major progress has been made with both the historical and the new museum taking shape. The complete overhaul of Antwerp’s prestigious institution aims to restore the original routing and decorations dignifying the intrinsic qualities of the space, while the new extension enriches the museum experience through contemporary practices.

Photographs by Karin Borghouts.