22/06 2022
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03 2023
Paleis Het Loo opening date revealed
Paleis Het Loo is set to open its doors to visitors on April 22, 2023, following a grand opening ceremony in the presence of His Majesty the King the evening before.
In the past five years, Paleis Het Loo has undergone a significant renovation, including a newly designed extension spanning over 5000 square meters located below the Bassecour. The design was inspired by the layout and proportions baroque palace and its historic surroundings. It incorporates all the necessary facilities and spaces while expressing a grandeur that befits one of the Netherlands’ most popular and visited museums. Revisit our design here.
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Visualization by The Beauty and the Bit.
Celebrating ‘drapeau’ at JUMP
Last Friday we celebrated ‘drapeau’ for our JUMP project in Aubervilliers, Paris! This traditional French party is held to mark the completion of the building’s structure and envelope.
For those who may not know, the ‘drapeau’ is named after the flag that was traditionally placed on top of houses when construction work was completed. The celebration was organised by the contractor Eiffage and provided a wonderful opportunity to bring together all parties involved in the project and recognize the hard work and dedication of the builders, known as ‘compagnons’. We are thrilled with the progress made on JUMP and can’t wait to see the final result. Stay tuned for more updates!
Featured visualization by Kreaction, courtesy of ICADE.
KAAN Architecten among finalists for Pontevedra Museum competition
We are pleased to share that KAAN Architecten is among 5 international architecture firms selected to participate in the competition for the renovation and extension of the Santa Clara convent in the Spanish town of Pontevedra, together with our local collaborators Murado + Elvira Architects.
The goal of the new intervention is to turn the Santa Clara convent into the new headquarters for the Pontevedra Museum. At last week’s press conference, the president of the local Provincial Council stated that the renovation and extension of the convent will be one of the most ambitious cultural works in Spain and will position the Museum as a cultural and architectural reference in the world.
Other participants moving further into the second stage of the competition include Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos, Kengo Kuma, David Chipperfield with Carlos Seoane and Snohetta with Alfonso Penela. Read more here.
Image source: La Voz de Galicia
‘Aging in Architecture’ – Dikkie Scipio at Bauhaus University
On February 7, 2023, Dikkie Scipio will give a lecture at the Bauhaus University in Weimar. Hers will be the closing lecture in a series dealing with the topic of ‘aging in architecture’, organized by the student initiative HORIZONTE.
Drawing from the renovation and extension of KMSKA in Antwerp, Paleis Het Loo in Apeldoorn and many others, Scipio’s lecture will focus on how architecture deals with the passing of time and how the process of aging develops new ways of working and coexisting within architectural practice.
Join on Tuesday, February 7, 19.00 in the AUDIMAX auditorium (Steubenstraße 6, 99423 Weimar). The lecture will also be recorded and streamed online at a later date. Watch this space for more information!
Poster design by Henry Boebst
Bridging Time – The renovation of the KMSKA
Following the recent opening of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, we are proud to present ‘Bridging Time’ published by nai010 publishers. Scroll down to get your copy!
‘Bridging Time’ chronicles the making of one of Europe’s most exciting museums in recent history. The latest renovation work and new design combine a contemporary allure with the glorious but somewhat neglected beauty of the 19th-century landmark. The renovation and extension bring together the past, the present and the future in a layered ensemble of time, architecture, history and art.
Contributions by Inge Bertels and Frederik Vandyck, Melanie Bühler, Louis De Mey, and Dikkie Scipio unveil this palimpsest of influences that shaped the museum and its setting and eventually guided our architectural intervention.
The texts are richly illustrated with original drawings, archive material, unique images, and testimonies of designers, builders and craftsmen involved in the project over the past two decades.
Following the last week’s launch with the book contributors at a festive night at the museum, ‘Bridging Time’ is now available for purchase online and in specialised bookstores.
Credits:
Texts: Inge Bertels, Melanie Bühler, Louis De Mey, Dikkie Scipio, Frederik Vandyck
Publisher: nai010 publishers, Rotterdam
Design: Alice Colombo
Cover photo: Sebastian van Damme
Photography: Stijn Bollaert, Karin Borghouts, Sebastian van Damme, Toon Grobet
Copy editing: John Kirkpatrick
Translations: John Kirkpatrick, Billy Nolan
Printing and lithography: Die Keure, Brugge
Paper: Magno Gloss 150 gr, Sirio Color Cherry 140 gr (interior), Wibalin Natural 565 Blueberry (cover material)
1st edition, 2022
Hardback
176 pages
22 x 31 cm
ISBN 978-94-6208-743-9
Book photographs by Magdalena Wierzbicka.
MINUTES wins website of the year at Dezeen Awards 2022!
After winning the public vote earlier in October, our short film platform MINUTES has also won the Dezeen Award for the website of the year from the international panel of judges.
The website was designed by Samuel Gadea, Florian Casarin and Julien Bidoret to host the 12 short films directed by talented international filmmakers portraying projects designed by KAAN Architecten. The site’s graphic language draws from black-and-white contrasts, informed by the core visual identity of MINUTES originally designed by From Form.
“This website manages to be design-led without intruding on user experience. It does not sacrifice functionality for style, and showcases each project in a way that is clear, concise and comprehensive, while still being visually arresting and engaging,” said the judges. “It allows the user to dive further into each film, inviting them to explore the process and design thinking behind the projects,” they continued.” What first could appear to be simply a landing page evolves into a complete content experience.” Read more here!
Rooted in the essential belief that every building tells a story, MINUTES was first floated as a concept in 2017, when we started exploring the dialogue between architecture and cinema. Four years later, MINUTES evolved into a fully-fledged cinematic oeuvre consisting of 12 short films, each less than ten minutes long. Within the framework of this unique exploratory initiative, commissioned filmmakers were given creative freedom to realise their vision of our projects. Using narrative, reference and symbolism, each film takes a different approach to portray how architecture interacts with the world.
We are joining THE NEW OPEN [Minds] Talks & Workshop
Kees Kaan and our BIM manager Javier Cuartero are joining the first international THE NEW OPEN (Minds) Talks & Workshop as featured speakers on 27 and 28 October.
As a dynamic platform with ongoing critical contributions from global thought leaders in architecture, design, climate, data science, art, culture, economics and politics, THE NEW OPEN rethinks the future foundations of design and its impact on our societies. Their first public conference will take place on 27 and 28 October at the TU Delft. The event includes keynote talks, interview-like conversations and panels from architects, designers and academics on climate, artificial intelligence, architecture, data-driven design and social and cultural change.
“If more accurate, complete and unbiased information is available, our ability to shape our habitat will be better too,” says Kees Kaan to introduce his keynote on the future of data-driven design set for 27 October. He advocates the need for “open data, impartial and fair”, calling it essential for the design process.
“Better design decision-making is based on reliable, clean, and approved data sources”, continues Javier Cuartero. He will give his insight as a data and tech support leader in a workshop on 28 October. For the first time, THE NEW OPEN [Minds] workshop will bring researchers from the fields of Open Science, Computational Design, Urbanism, Data Management and Artificial Intelligence together with architects and experts from internationally renowned design firms innovating architecture through the use of data.
Find out more information and join here.
PORTRAITS in Paris
Last Thursday, 06 October, we hosted a book launch for our monograph PORTRAITS in Paris at La Galerie d’architecture. This is our first monograph, published in June by Park Books and the first substantial publication offering a unique perspective on fifteen of our major built works to date. Have you gotten your copy yet?
The director of our French office, Marylene Gallon, welcomed the audience after which editor and graphic designer Alice Colombo presented the concept behind the book’s structure and design.
She explained the idea of selected projects being portrayed as different characters with distinctive physiognomies but belonging to the same family and sharing similar features, hence the book’s title.
The evening continued with a conversation between Kees Kaan, Vincent Panhuysen, architectural critic Pierre Chabard and architect Jean-Pierre Pranlas-Descours, both frequent collaborators of KAAN Architecten. Chabard is also one of the featured writers in the monograph. His essay Architecture as dialogue weaves through the book and elucidates framing, topology, geometry and craft as the hallmarks of our designs.
You can get your copy of PORTRAITS online and in specialised bookstores. The book is also available for purchase directly from Park Books.
Images by Sebastian van Damme. Featured image by Urte Baranauskaite.
KAAN Architecten to design the new Courthouse in Nancy
We are proud to announce KAAN Architecten has been selected to design the new Courthouse in Nancy, following a competition launched by the APIJ, the leading real estate operator of the French Ministry of Justice.
The Courthouse in Nancy will bring together the penal, civic, social and trades courts on one site. Creating a singular hub for these legal entities aims to improve the conditions for welcoming the public and the functioning of all courts. The jury selected our design as it ensures a high-quality urban interpolation that highlights the remarkable industrial heritage of the site. Located on the site of the former Alstom factory in the northeast of Nancy’s historic core, the new judicial complex marks the first stage of the transformation of this historically industrial area into an up-and-coming ecological district.
Our project restores the architectural and spatial integrity of the former assembly hall, transforming it into various interconnected spaces. Facades and most portico frames are preserved and dialogue with the project’s different parts: the new judicial building and its logistics spaces, the forecourt, and a dense forest. The greenery is omnipresent and seeps into the building through a large patio, contributing to the image of serene and welcoming justice.
Demolition works carried out by the municipality of Nancy will begin in 2023, while delivery is expected by 2027. Find more information here (in French).
Project facts:
Architect: KAAN Architecten, Paris/Rotterdam
Local architect: Bagard & Luron, Nancy
Structural advisor: EVP Ingénierie, Paris
Installation and Sustainability advisor: INEX, Montreuil
Financial advisor: BMF, Paris/Apprieu
Acoustics advisor: META, Paris
Maintenance and operation: SINTEO, Paris
Landscape design: Territoires, Besançon
Images: ILULISSA, Nancy
Client: The Public Agency for Judicial Real Estate (APIJ)
GFA: 15.000 m2
Program: 10 public courtrooms, 21 cabinet courtrooms, 338 workplaces
A celebration of art and architecture decades in the making
On Saturday, 24 September 2022, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp (KMSKA) reopened its doors to the public after a thorough eleven-year-long closure for renovation of the historical museum and contemporary extension completely concealed within the existing structure.
After winning an international competition in 2003 commissioned by the Flemish Government, we have worked intensively on the complex masterplan, renovation and extension of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp (Belgium), also known as KMSKA (Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen), to bring contemporary allure to a glorious, overlooked beauty of the 19th century.
Guests can walk through an enfilade of exhibition rooms tinted in dark pink, green and red; oak doors, tall columns and ceiling ornaments in plasterwork convey a feeling of ancient grandeur.
Meanwhile, hidden in the heart of the old building, a new vertical museum arises as a completely autonomous entity built within the four original patios.
With bright white exhibition halls, hidden rooms, long staircases, far-reaching sightlines and varying gradations of daylight, the new museum charts a route full of surprising vertical experiences.
With the museum’s grand opening, the longest-running project of our office comes to a close. “The renovation was a unique experience, one that has not followed the usual paths of an architectural project in any way. A lot of people have contributed with their hands and head to a result we can now celebrate, and for which I owe everyone a lot of thanks,” says Dikkie Scipio, the founding partner in charge of guiding the masterplan of the renovation for the past two decades.
Explore the complete project here.
Photographs by Sebastian van Damme.
