03 2022
March 2022
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29/03 2022

Amsterdam Courthouse nominated for the BNA Building of the Year

Out of 82 entries, the jury selected ten candidates to compete for BNA’s Best Building of the Year 2022 award. Our Amsterdam Courthouse is nominated in the ‘Identity and Iconic Value’ category.

‘Best Building of the Year’ is a Dutch architecture prize awarded by the Dutch Architectural Firms Association (BNA) for buildings that offer added value to clients, users and society. The nominated projects are eligible for the jury prize and the audience award decided by a public vote that is open until April 28. Cast your vote here! The winners will be announced on May 12 in Theater Zuidplein in Rotterdam.

Explore the Amsterdam Courthouse!

18/03 2022

Construction starts on the RUG Education Centre

On 18 March 2022, the name of the new Educational Centre at the University of Groningen was officially unveiled in a festive ceremony that also celebrated a recent start of construction. The new building on the Healthy Ageing Campus will be named after the Groningen resistance fighter and medical student Anda Kerkhoven (1919-1945). 

The Anda Kerkhoven Centre is expected to be completed by the end of 2023 and will offer teaching, meeting and working spaces for around 2,000 students and staff from the Faculty of Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Science and Engineering (Pharmacy).

The new building will be the face of the part of the campus surrounding the Antonius Deusinglaan, which in the coming years will be transformed into a lively and green city square with branches of the University College Groningen and cultural student centre surrounding it.

The Anda Kerkhoven Centre consists of a high brick building block with education spaces and a lower foyer with a green roof garden on top. The foyer is closely connected to the outdoor area and the rest of the buildings and therefore functions as a true new entrance to the Healthy Ageing Campus. The building will have a relaxed atmosphere that encourages cooperation and knowledge transfer, and invites to a healthy lifestyle, with much attention to space and sustainability. The energy will be generated sustainably using solar panels and a thermal energy storage system. Explore the design here.

Image by Filippo Bolognese

Read more information here and follow the construction via a live webcam.

Building team
Architect: KAAN Architecten
Installation consultant: Sweegers en De Bruijn
Construction engineer: abtWassenaar
Building physics advisor: Peutz
Contractor: Aannemingsmaatschappij Hegeman BV, in collaboaration with: De Groot Installatiegroep
Contract management: ZRi
Infra: WMR
Landscape design: Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners

Images courtesy of the University of Groningen, unless otherwise stated.

16/03 2022

First artwork reinstalled in KMSKA

Yesterday a festive ceremony marked the unveiling of the first artwork reinstalled in the historic halls of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp. The exciting and emotional moment was captured by photographer Sanne De Block.

Rubens’ Baptism of Christ was hoisted straight up into the Rubens Hall through hatches in the floors. These slots come in handy for transporting the paintings to and from the underground depot for safekeeping.

Photo by Karin Borghouts

After the Rubens, other ancient and modern masters will follow based on a strict plan worked out by the curators and restorators. In total, 650 works will soon be placed on the walls of the restored and new museum rooms.

Following a thorough extension and renovation by KAAN Architecten, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts is set to open on 24 September 2022.

Images courtesy of KMSKA and Sanne De Block, unless otherwise indicated.

14/03 2022

‘Static’ released on MINUTES platform

We are delighted to introduce the short film ‘Static’, now freely available worldwide on the MINUTES web platform. This film marks the eleventh release for the series, consisting of 12 short movies directed by international filmmakers and portraying a selection of projects by KAAN Architecten.

Directed by Spirit of Space at the Crematorium Siesegem in Aalst, Belgium, ‘Static explores the power of architectural imagery in visually manipulating space and time to create an idyllic perception.

Faceless, empty forms are designed to define the scale abstractly so we can envision ourselves inside future buildings and landscapes. If we suddenly became one of these static figures our emotions would shift. All we would know is what we’ve assumed from staring blindly at empty blogs, feeds, and exhibits of blank forms. What is the intended purpose of our dream world? If generalizations and monoculture blind us from the purpose of architecture we all become aliens navigating static worlds of isolation.

Spirit of Space was founded in 2006 in Chicago based on the belief that buildings tell stories. They completed about 200 film shorts working with architects and designers such as Jeanne Gang, Amanda Williams, Steven Holl, Wolf Prix, and Daniel Libeskind. The art of SOS filmmaking lies in taking sequential authentic experiences and directing and editing in such a way that the emotional intensity of the project is felt. Their films are exhibited in museums, biennials, and galleries, but in keeping with the belief that design should be accessible to everyone almost all of their work is found online and distributed through educational lectures and public events.

Visit MINUTES website to discover more information about directors, films and architectural projects. To keep up to date with all upcoming events, online lectures and film releases related to the series, subscribe to the newsletter.