LIAG architects and building advisors has conducted a study for an art storage building in The Netherlands commissioned by the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.
The building had to fulfil several contradictory aspects like safety of the goods which can’t cope with daylight and the wish for an open building.
Another request was to run the facility with a minimum use of energy and at the same time keep the temperature ranges within a very narrow limit in the conditioned area. LIAG designed a simple yet sophisticated volume to house the facilities.
The main feature of the building is a clear and rather dramatic entrance. It is emphasised by a golden metal coated arch shape which opens the building towards the adjacent train station. This way the building is open and inviting without giving away its inner organization.
Though the safety of the facilities can be guaranteed without creating a hostile or even rejecting impression. The inner organization of the layout is based on optimized work circumstances with the shortest routing. Also transportation of the artefacts is kept as short as possible in case transportation is needed.
This resulted in a very compact volume which can easily be extended in the future if necessary. On all three floors there is one single corridor from which all spaces are reachable. This way the risk of damage by transportation can be minimized.
This structure also allows a simple yet very effective extension of the building in the future. An innovative façade system has been developed for the building. As result an energy productive building is made possible which would produce a total of 1,3 kWh.
Next to the production of energy the facade elements would create an ever changing impression of the building due to reflection of light. This means the building’s appearance changes during the seasons and along every day from a closed black box to a light open building all depended on the angle and amount of the light.
This effect is achieved by the use of a specially coated reflective material which also avoids glare. At the same time the amount of energy needed for cooling / heating the facilities is reduced by a thoroughly insulated skin and the help of energy stored in the ground.
Also the different spaces are stacked in a way that meets their climatic requirements. The studios and offices are placed at the top floor. To allow perfect work circumstances the studios get light from the north and all workspaces are connected with each other to enable short information transfer. Source by LIAG, The Hague NL.
- Location: Amersfoort, The Netherlands
- Architects: LIAG, The Hague
- Project Team: Thomas Bögl, Maja Frackowiak, Jordy Aarts, Erik Schotte, Arie Aalbers, Jeroen Moerman, Anna Gunnink, Clemens Rothleitner, Jose Reviriego Machío
- Client: Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
- Area: 29.000 sqm
- Year: 2016
- Images: Courtesy of LIAG
