Wednesday, 7 November 2007 | Levent OZLER
Erick van Egeraat Wins Competition for Museum in the Netherlands
Erick van Egeraat has won an international competition for the new entrance and extension of the Drents Museum in Assen, Netherlands. The new wing of the museum comprises approximately 2.000 m2 and will be completed in 2011. The other four competitors were ONL [Oosterhuis_Lénárd], Swiss architects Holzer Kobler and Drexler Guinand Jauslin, the German office of Jürgen Mayer H. and Winka Dubbeldam/Archi-tectonics of New York.
The most important aspect of Erick van Egeraat's design is the consistent integration of the museum into the fabric of the city. A balanced play of building, landscape and water, creates a new identity for the extended museum. The design reinforces both the scenic character and the cultural-historic face of Assen's city centre.
The staggered, organic roof of the new wing connects existing gardens and parks in the city. Erick van Egeraat is thus creating a publicly accessible park. Openings in the roof allow light to penetrate into the exhibition spaces below. The new wing links the new entrance with existing parts of the museum and the city landscape.
The existing coach-house will serve as the museum's new main entrance. Lifted 1 meter above the ground, the existing structure rests on a glass plinth, revealing the building's new function in an elegant manner. The historic façade is left untouched, therefore preserving the buildings civic appearance. During the day, the glass plinth allows light to enter the building. At night, interior lighting transforms the coach-house into a beacon for the city and its inhabitants.
(EEA) Erick van Egeraat founded his practice in Rotterdam in 1995 and now employs 140 professionals throughout offices in London, Budapest, Prague and Moscow. Erick van Egeraat has been involved in the realisation of more than 100 projects over his 25 years of practice.
The EEA architectural vision is to realise world-class architecture and masterplanning, which adds economic, social and cultural value to the local context. The office is presently working on the design and realisation of more than 40 projects all over Europe, Central Eastern Europe and Russia.
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