Netherlands Embassy, Germany

Related people

Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) (was created by)
Rem Koolhaas (was created by)

Date

1997-2003

Location

Europe->Germany->Berlin (state)->Berlin

Description

"The new embassy for The Netherlands is located on the Rolandufer in what was the earliest settlement of Berlin...In the program of demands the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested a solitaire building, clearly visible as a different entity in its urban environment. The zoning demanded a closing off of the traditional Berlin Block for this location. Another wish was the expression of 'Dutch openness' in the building. In order to answer both wishes and deal with the local authorities, the concept was shaped into a glass cube on a socle: a solitaire but with a connection to the existing neighbouring building on the west. The solution to the conflict between perimeter block and free-standing building is found in the combination of the two. By concentrating the building mass in the form of a cube there is sufficient space excavated to consider the embassy a villa." -- Reference

Keywords: wall, rotating door, aluminum, Germany, Berlin, Dutch embassy, views, public buildings.

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