Yesterday the architect Erick van Egeraat gave a public lecture inside at the Erasmus University College in Rotterdam, one of the projects he renovated between 2010 and 2014. What are the project and building history? How was the project conceived? …Continued
We’re really proud of being in the “Top 10 Architects to Look Out For in 2022” section of the NYC Journal! According to the American journal, in fact, our office and practice have been continuously enriching the architecture and building …Continued
We’re thrilled to announce that the Villa Pirogovo project has been published on SKY-FRAME website as a reference in the section “To be lived and loved”. Check the amazing photos of this project here: https://www.sky-frame.com/en/sky-frame-world/references/villa-pirogovo/ Don’t hesitate to reach out …Continued
We’re happy to share with you such great news! The winner’s booklet for the European Prize 2021 has been published and Erick van Egeraat for one of the Jury Members. If you want to read the full article and discover …Continued
We’re really proud to be part of the new Hyundai Italia advertising spot, with our facade that parts like a pair of red curtains! The ten-floors Sumatrakontor, located in the HafenCity development area of Hamburg, has been recognized by the …Continued
We’re thrilled to reveal Erick van Egeraat’s future participation at the SHARE Budapest 2022, International Architecture and Engineering Forum. On the 15th of February in Budapest the architect will dialogue with innovators and influencers in architecture and building technologies and …Continued
We are delighted to announce that one of our latest projects, Villa Pirogovo, has been published on Archilovers and we hope you’ll be enchanted by this sustainable architecture! Check the photos, drawings, and info out here: https://www.archilovers.com/projects/296805/villa-pirogovo.html# The private client …Continued
We are very pleased that our project the University Church of Leipzig has been awarded in category “Conversation” within the frame of European Heritage Awards/ Europa Nostra Awards 2020. The center of attention this time is the “Epitaph Project” of …Continued
Nationale en internationale kunstenaars weten Cor Unum te vinden. Industrieel ontwerper Satyendra Pakhalé uit India, architect Erick van Egeraat en topkok Sergio Herman, om er maar eens een paar te noemen. ``Voor Van Egeraat maakte ik het mooiste wat ik …Continued
Last 14th of April, Erick van Egeraat participated in an online webinar on Share-architects.com Share-Architects hosted a webinar with architects from all over the world under the theme Transforming the World Through Architecture. Enrol for free to dive into this …Continued
Some news regarding webinars: Today, on the 14th of April, Erick van Egeraat is participating in an online webinar on share-architects.com. Share-Architects is hosting loads of live webinars with architects from all over the world under the theme Transforming the …Continued
“THE FIRST FULLY GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE DISTRICT IN THE NETHERLANDS” says Erick van Egeraat The Dutch city of Almere in the Netherlands has appointed the team of Amvest, Design Erick van Egeraat and Witteveen + Bos as the exclusive partner …Continued
With the new main building, auditorium and Paulinum, designed by the Dutch architect Erick van Egeraat, the new University of Leipzig, founded in 1409 and the second oldest University of Germany, is now finally completed. The official opening will take …Continued
Saturday may 28th, from 14:00-15:30, Erick van Egeraat will take part in the dialogue: ‘The Leipzig University Church as a platform for religion and science?’ The Paulinum Auditorium and University Building was designed by Erick van Egeraat, and built on …Continued
The sustainable residential and supermarket project Columbuskwartier in Almere, The Netherlands, is nearing its completion. Its volume and architectural articulation can now be clearly experienced. This will be an anchor point for the new Columbuskwartier city district. At its edge, …Continued
Since 2013, Erick van Egeraat has held a series of lectures in St. Petersburg, Budapest, Sofia and Yekaterinburg titled ‘Galvanising the (European) City’. In the latest lecture in this series, in Athens, Erick van Egeraat will further elaborate his view …Continued
Erick van Egeraat: “Shocked to hear today’s news about a mentor and an unique creative icon, who shaped major parts of our life. There was so much more that he could have taught us. We will miss him!” (Photo: Jimmy …Continued
The RAK-PARK phase 1 competition called for designs to develop the Danube embankment in Budapest, Hungary. The goal of the competition, organized by the Municipality of Budapest, is to revitalize the embankment in 3 phases until 2030. Phase 1 includes …Continued
The multiple award winning bespoke interior design for the MySky Yacht has been nominated for the ShowBoats Design Awards, in the category ‘Interior Design above 500 GT’. The independent jury of this prestigious competition is chaired by Marilyn Mower and …Continued
This October, the light installation of the Waste to Energy Plant in Roskilde, Denmark, won the third prize in category Best Exterior Scheme of the Darc Awards. The jury awarded prize for the light façade that is an integral part …Continued
This September in Cannes, the MySky yacht interior, designed by Erick van Egeraat and constructed by Heesen Yachts, has received the ‘Invictus Best Interior’ Award. Jury members included representatives of Feadship, CRN and MondoMarine. Following the World Superyachts Award this …Continued
In a lecture he held earlier this year in Budapest titled ‘Galvanise the City’, Erick van Egeraat fuelled the debate about the ongoing plans to erect 6 new museum projects in one of Budapest’s most appreciated city parks. Now, he …Continued
Soon a contemporary living concept will arrive in Moscow: high end serviced apartments designed by Erick van Egeraat, for the Mercury Tower. Compact, yet very high quality apartments are fully fit out with the best materials and furniture. Apartments come …Continued
Erick van Egeraat has received a Neptune trophy at the prestigious World Superyacht Awards gala evening in Amsterdam on May 9th 2015. The ultra-contemporary, sharp and sophisticatedly styled 51-metre private yacht MySky, won the award for best Displacement Motor Yachts …Continued
Construction on the Columbuskwartier mixed use project, designed by Erick van Egeraat, officially started on Wednesday 22 April 2015. During the groundbreaking ceremony, the first foundation pile touched the ground. The site is located between the Oliver van Noorthof and …Continued
Erick van Egeraat’s Waste to Energy Plant in Roskilde, Denmark has been awarded the first prize in the Architizer A+ Awards. The project, which is actually a state of the art Waste-to-Energy plant, was selected in the category Architecture + …Continued
On Tuesday the 14th April and Wednesday 15th April Erick van Egeraat is invited as a keynote speaker at the V Biennale Architecture of St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. Erick van Egeraat …Continued
Erick van Egeraat’s Waste to Energy Plant in Roskilde, Denmark has been pre-selected as a finalist in the Architizer A+ Awards for the Plus Categories | Architecture + Light: category. With this waste-to-energy Incineration Line, the city of Roskilde in …Continued
What is a World Expo? How will Rotterdam organize this huge project? And is Rotterdam ready? These and other questions will be answered on January 30th in the Rotterdam Central Library (Hoogstraat 110) between 16:00 and 17:00 pm. You are …Continued
Erick van Egeraat is proud to announce that YN 16551, MySky, was delivered to her owner after intensive sea trials in the North Sea. MySky is a 51m full displacement long-range motor yacht of approximately 600GT, achieving a range of …Continued
Erick van Egeraat and the entire team wish you very happy holidays, and a healthy 2015! Click here to view our New Year movie
Erick van Egeraat’s Incineration Line, Roskilde has been awarded the first prize in the competition for the Media Architecture Biennale Awards in Aarhus, an award show for outstanding projects at the intersection of architecture, media and interaction design. The design …Continued
The Erasmus University College, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, has been preselected for the Rotterdam Architecture Award. The former municipal library from 1923 was designed by city architect D.B. Logemann, with Art Deco sculptures on the facades designed by J.P.H. van …Continued
With the new waste-to-energy plant, the city of Roskilde in Denmark will have a second towering landmark, besides the UNESCO world heritage Cathedral: The Energy Tower designed by Erick van Egeraat. The facility will be inaugurated by His Royal Highness …Continued
Design Erick van Egeraat is commissioned to further elaborate the master plan and a series of buildings for the city centre of the City of Unaizah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The approved concept design provides attractive solutions for …Continued
Willem van Genugten (1975), born and educated in the Netherlands, graduated as architect from Technical University of Delft in 2001 and joined Erick van Egeraat’s office in 2002. From the beginning of his career, Willem has been predominantly involved in …Continued
The Roskilde Incineration Line tower in Roskilde, Denmark turns orange in honour of Erick van Egeraat’s design and the 2014 Roskilde Festival. Roskilde municipality spokesman Carsten Sivertsen states: “What Erick van Egeraat has done is incredible. It was a massive …Continued
The University of Leipzig may soon call itself a worthy second largest University of the State of Saxony, Germany. The new campus, designed by Erick van Egeraat, is in her final stages. On June 5 2014, the Minister of Finance …Continued
The Erasmus University College, beautifully located at the Nieuwemarkt in the centre of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, is now officially in use. The former municipal library from 1924, a free interpretation of the ‘Amsterdamse School’ style, was designed by the city …Continued
Erick van Egeraat’s Roskilde Incineration Line project is almost finished. The design for the new incineration line in Roskilde, Denmark, presents an iconic expression for the otherwise functional architecture of local waste management company Kara / Noveren’s next generation incineration …Continued
Design Erick van Egeraat was selected to take part in the Competition Design for the Russian Contemporary Art Museum in the historical Udarnik Cinema building in Moscow, Russia. On April 10th, 2014 Shalva Breus, Director of the Shalva Breus Foundation …Continued
Heesen and Erick van Egeraat are proud to announce that YN 16551 christened “MySky” was launched on January 31st at their facility in Oss. MySky is a 51m full displacement long range motor yacht of 600GT with a range of …Continued
Fifteen Rotterdam entrepreneurs have joined forces to promote Rotterdam to host the 2025 World Expo. They share the opinion that organizing such an event will provide Rotterdam with the common agenda and focus to work towards, that it needs. This …Continued
Erick van Egeraat’s design for a renewed Feyenoord stadium De Kuip and the surrounding areas, shows how both Feyenoord and the City of Rotterdam can successfully benefit from each other. “The unique brand Feyenoord Rotterdam offers enormous potential for both …Continued
The decidedly integral urban approach to the debate on how to redevelop the Feyenoord Soccer Stadium proposed by Erick van Egeraat to a committee of specialists of the sports club, has been selected to enter a next round of reviews. …Continued
The Auditorium Space of the Paulinum Leipzig University building is in its final stages of construction. The unique design is a contemporary material and functional interpretation of the original church Space that was here until 1968, when it was destroyed. …Continued
The illuminating design of Erick van Egeraat for the Incinerator at Roskilde is one step closer to its realisation. In mid December the first lighting tests were performed successfully. During sunset a gentle light will appear throughout the perforated facade. …Continued
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a great 2014!! Желаю Вам счастливого Нового 2014 Года!!
Erick van Egeraat has been assigned the design works for the World Fashion Restaurant, Café & Club, in Mercury Tower, the highest skyscraper of Europe. World Fashion Restaurant, Café & Club is a cultural concept in metropolises where one can …Continued
On October 11th, invited by Jernhusen AB, Harry Kurzhals, Associate Director of Design Erick van Egeraat, lectures in Stockholm at a seminar about high density developments at metropolitan nodes of public transport. . The Oosterdok Island area, a high density …Continued
Erick van Egeraat was interviewed by the Russian TV channel TV100 concerning the different perceptions on architectural exhibitions, his view on the Mariinsky II theatre building and some differences between working in Russia and the Netherlands.
The annual European Property Awards have granted the ‘Best high rise Architecture in Russia’ prize to the Mercury Tower in Moscow City Central Business District. Mercury Tower is, since it took over from the London Shard, currently the tallest high …Continued
On October 16th, Erick van Egeraat is the invited key speaker at the Hermitage State Museum in St Petersburg, Russia, with a lecture titled ‘Working in Russia, the first twelve years’. This lecture, in the framework of the Holland-Russia year, …Continued
The Russian Internet-portal Radi Doma Pro placed an interview with Erick van Egeraat. The Dutch architect shares his insights about work in Russia, speaks about his experience with working in historical context and about his current projects. Radi Doma Pro …Continued
On September 9th Erick van Egeraat presented his entry into the design competition to renovate and extend the European University in St. Petersburg. The EUSP is housed in a historical landmark building known as Small Marble Palace, located in the …Continued
Design Erick van Egeraat takes part in the exhibition ‘New Messages from the Netherlands: Recent Dutch Architecture and Design’ in Seoul, South-Korea. The exhibition presents physical models and photos of several Dutch projects. The Drents Museum, designed by Erick van …Continued
Recently Erick van Egeraat was interviewed by the Russian online magazine Cityboom. In this interview he gives his vision on the Red October area in Moscow. In order to maintain and amplify the quality the area already has, Red October …Continued
A symbolic moment in the realisation of the Erick van Egeraat’s new Waste to energy Plant in Roskilde. Recently the top section of the tower was lifted to its position. The iconic Waste to Energy plant is a hypermodern and …Continued
Erick van Egeraat will be live on air at Radio 1’s Casa Luna tonight. Special host Nathan Vecht will interview Erick on his life as a well known international architect, his ideas and his recent projects in Moscow, Roskilde and …Continued
Erick van Egeraat’s review on the recently reopened Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam was published in the National newspaper Trouw today. The title ‘Gentlemen-architects rescue the Netherlands’, refers to Antonio Cruz & Antonio Ortiz, the Spanish architects who succeeded in a superb …Continued
Design Erick van Egeraat is one of the candidates for the Cossack Museum in Volgograd (Russian Federation). Six architects from different European Countries countries were invited to participate in a competition for the new museum building. Our concept of the …Continued
Vershina Trade & Entertainment Center, designed by Erick van Egeraat, was honored as one of the most important architectural projects in Russia. The Russian “World realty” portal prepared the list of the 8 most important architectural projects in Russia in …Continued
Construction of the new Mercury-City Tower, presently Europe’s tallest building, has been completed. Due to this achievement the title of the tallest building in Europe is now solidly back to Russia’s capital. With its roof mark at 338.8m, Mercury-City takes …Continued
Design Erick van Egeraat won the ‘best interior’ prize at the Dutch Design Awards 2012 with the design of Drents Museum in Assen. Sunday October 28th the award ceremony awarded different architects in the categories communications, free design, product and …Continued
Erick van Egeraat’s design for the new Sberbank University has been formally approved by the Moscow regional state expertise. Erick van Egeraat won the international competition for the new 32,000m2 corporate University in 2010. “To win a prestigious competition is …Continued
On 20th of June, the Strelka Institute in Moscow organized an event for ecological architecture for which Erick van Egeraat was invited to share his experiences within this subject. Within the area of Red October in Moscow (where Erick van …Continued
The Dutch Royal Netherlands Embassy in Poland, which was designed by Erick van Egeraat, is chosen as one of the most interesting buildings in Poland of the decade. The company Agora SA produced a colorful album with 101 most interesting …Continued
From 31st of January until the 3rd of February the 16th International Winter Festival of Architecture and Design ‘Golden Capital’ was held in Novosibirsk, Siberia. On this festival, urban planning, architecture and design have the central focus. The Trade and …Continued
Design Erick van Egeraat designs the new housing for the Erasmus University College (EUC) situated at the Nieuwe Markt in the centre of Rotterdam. In the former 1923 library building which currently houses the Museum of Education, a new university …Continued
At Hamburg Hafencity the brand new ‘Sumatrakontor’ by Erick van Egeraat was officially opened. The 37.000 sq-meter, ten story multifunctional building houses a variety of inner-urban functions such as; a five-star hotel, offices and conference rooms, retail, high-end housing and …Continued
Every month the Russian State Library of Arts in Moscow invites benchmarking individuals in arts, sciences, engineering and architecture to elaborate on their ambition, knowledge and work. This month Erick van Egeraat was invited to lecture on his experience and …Continued
On November 16th Her Majesty Queen Beatrix officially opened Erick van Egeraat’s Drents Museum in Assen. During the festive ceremonies Museum-director Michel van Maarseveen and others complimented Erick van Egeraat on bringing a symbiotic relationship between the existing historic Museum …Continued
On the 16th of October Dutch architect Erick van Egeraat was awarded the prestigious Russian Best Building Award for his Chess Club building in Khanty-Mansiysk at the Zodchestvo festival. Best Building Awards is an open public competition in construction and …Continued
On Friday the 7th of October Erick van Egeraat gives a keynote speech at ‘The Economics of Beauty’ in Rotterdam. This conference is organized by the Economic Development Board Rotterdam (EDBR) during the Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam. EDBR formulates recommendations …Continued
On Thursday September 15th, 2011, the 10th Annual Leading European Architects Forum will take place in London. LEAF brings together leading international architectural practices and designer to share knowledge, to network and to develop new partnerships. Erick van Egeraat will …Continued
On Friday September 2nd, 2011, the Dutch-Saxony symposium ‘Norm=Form, über Standardisierung und Design’ will take place in Leipzig. Germany has a strong technological identity, the Netherlands is known for its creative abilities. Designers and architects from both countries will illustrate …Continued
On the 13th of July, the Russian magazine “Made in Future”, supported by their strategic partner “Duvils Group”, revealed their short-list of nominees for the annual international Best Building Award. The award goes to the winner of the competition which …Continued
Erick van Egeraat presents his vision of the development of the Rotterdam Kuip Stadium in the final episode of ‘Stadion’, local broadcaster RTV Rijnmond’s program on this subject. Rotterdam Municipality is on the verge of deciding in what way the …Continued
On July 7 2011, the new extension of the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands, was formally delivered after rebuilding it for over 2 years. The museum became too small for the ambitions it has with creating large exhibitions and …Continued
On the 22nd of June Erick van Egeraat will be one of the key-note speakers at the annual Dutch Council on tall Buildings Summit held in Rotterdam. Erick van Egeraat will elaborate upon the question if high-rise can contribute to …Continued
Erick van Egeraat has been invited to be one of the professional jurors for the annual Russian “Best building of the year Award’. The open public international award “BEST BUILDING 2011” is annually given to the best building of the …Continued
Bauwelt, German’s leading weekly building and architectural magazine published an article about the much discussed design and build for the University of Leipzig, a competition design won by Erick van Egeraat in 2004. Author Gunter Kowa describes the difficulties between …Continued
On May 13, Erick van Egeraat has been invited to be the closing key-note speaker at the ‘ Creative Amsterdam’ festival at ‘Pakhuis de Zwijger’ in Amsterdam. In this 3 day festival, a number of world renowned Dutch architects, designers, …Continued
On Wednesday the 27th of April, Erick van Egeraat will be one of the key speakers to reflect upon the question; ‘Does a typical European Architecture exist?’. This discussion is part of the book presentation ‘European Architecture since 1890’ by …Continued
On the occasion of the 375th founding day of the University of Utrecht and the 50th anniversary of the Campus Uithof itself, Utrecht University organizes an extended program of events around these jubilees. On April 17th Herman Hertzberger (David de …Continued
During the week of March 7, the Drents Museum has been enriched with the new staircase produced by the company Ensel in Dokkum. The new staircase has been placed in the old coach house, the new head entrance of the …Continued
On the 20th of February 2011 the Milanofiori Businesspark, designed by Erick van Egeraat, was connected to the Milan subway network. The official opening at Milanofiori marked the extension of the centerline subway with two stations. The completion of Milan’s …Continued
On February 18, 2011, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an article on the ongoing construction of the Drents Museum in Assen achieved by Erick van Egeraat. The expansion of the museum, which covers over 2.000 square meters, is located primarily …Continued
Recently Erick van Egeraat was interviewed by Dutch broadcaster AVRO and Russian broadcaster DOZHD –TV. For AVRO, Erick van Egeraat was interviewed at length about the current architectural – and investment climate in the Netherlands and worldwide. “We need to …Continued
Leading trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort emphasizes on the international reputation of Dutch Architects like Erick van Egeraat and regards their work as an example for Dutch excellence. Especially the ability to design amazing architecture under challenging circumstances and the attention …Continued
Erick van Egeraats ‘Sumatra’ building in Hamburg is nearing completion. Sumatra is located in the heart of Hafencity Hamburg, the largest inner urban redevelopment of Europe. The building comprises spaces for retail, offices and housing on a gross floor area …Continued
On the 7th of December two projects of Erick van Egeraat will be officially opened in the Khanti-Mansiysk autonomous region. The Chess-club building in Khanty-Mansiysk and the Vershina trade & entertainment centre in Surgut. The new 5.000 sq. meter Chess-club …Continued
On the 2nd of December FIFA announced their selection of nations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup™ host at the Zurich Exhibition. In 2018 Russia will be hosting the FIFA World Cup™. Design Erick van Egeraat and Russian …Continued
The re-positioning of the Coach-house as an elevated monumental entry marks a new fase in the transformation of the Drents Museum in Assen by Design Erick van Egeraat. The coach-house, one of the oldest original buildings of the museum-complex, was …Continued
Design Erick van Egeraat has been nominated with the Lieven de Key medal for the renovation and extension of the City Theater of Haarlem. Lieven de Key was one of the most important architects of the Dutch Renaissance and became …Continued
A unique superblock was officially opened on October 14th in the French city of Lyon. Design Erick van Egeraat created the superblock, called the ‘Monolith’ in collaboration with the French architects Combarel-Marrec, Manuelle Gautrand, Pierre Gautier and the Dutch Architect …Continued
On 12 October 2010, the first tenants of the ‘Vlindertuin’, the dwelling project by (designed by) Erick van Egeraat, symbolically were handed over their house key by developer ‘Ons Huis’. The family dwellings have a non-traditional set up: facing each …Continued
The board of KARA/Noveren, Denmark’s leading waste to energy supplier, signed a contract with Erick van Egeraat for the realization of their new Waste to Energy Plant at Roskilde [DK]. Erick van Egeraat won the design-competition for this incinerator in …Continued
The board of Sberbank, the leading bank of Russia, signed a contract with the Dutch Architect Erick van Egeraat for the realization of their new Corporate University, west of Moscow, close to the Novorizhkoye highway. Sberbank is Russia’s largest and …Continued
The urban planning council of St. Petersburg Russia, approved Erick van Egeraats concept design for Moika Krukrov. Moika Krukov is a six storey elite residential building located along the historical Moika river embankment in the centre of St. Petersburg. It …Continued
The University of Leipzig is slowly getting it’s definitive shape. Last week the 350.000,- Euro rosette window was installed in the facade of the newly build auditorium building. Constructed out of lime stone and glass the rosette refers to the …Continued
Erick van Egeraat has been awarded the first prize in the closed international design competition for VTB Arena Park in Moscow on the initiative of VTB Bank. The 300,000-m2 VTB Arena Park is one of the largest projects that will …Continued
Erick van Egeraat has been invited by German art collectors Hans-Joachim Sander and Gisa Sander-Stiftung to be a jury member in the international competition for the realisation of the newly to be built Museum Sander Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt, Germany. Some …Continued
During the annual Dutch Construction Industry Day on June 5th 2010, 280 construction and infrastructural projects will be opened to the public. Amongst them is Design Erick van Egeraat’s ‘Vlindertuin’ (‘Butterfly garden’), a residential project in Apeldoorn. Vlindertuin consists of …Continued
The first stage of the ambitious re-development and partial reconstruction of the Pauliner University Church site, Café Felsche, opened its doors to the public. Café Felsche is a semi-separate mixed-use volume with commercial spaces, a café, a medical centre and, …Continued
Work on the landscaped inner courtyard covering the INHolland University site in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, is progressing rapidly. Erick van Egeraat designed and built not only the original building and the extension of the university, but also designed the masterplan …Continued
Erick van Egeraat finished the construction of a private residence in Rotterdam. The family that requested a design for this private house lived in a modernist villa for several years. For their new residence a more personal, more intimate living …Continued
Construction works of the mixed-use development in Lyon, France, are nearing completion. The project, which comprises offices and residential units, is located in the development area Lyon Confluence. The block is divided into five different parts, detailed by five different …Continued
The competition designs for the invited competition for the new Russian Drama Theatre for Astana, Kazakhstan will be exhibited in Astana from the 2nd of April to the 10th of April 2010. President Nazerbayev is expected to open this exhibition …Continued
The Retail and Entertainment Centre in Surgut, Russia is nearing completion. This month the façade lighting undergoes the last tests, and executions works on the interior fit out are performed at high speed. Because of the Siberian climate, the atrium …Continued
The city development authorities of the Khanty Mansiysk (UGRA) have approved the Urban Plan for Ugorski Polus, initiating a substantial development for app. 10 years to come. On the Northwestern border of Khanty-Mansiysk, nearby the Irtysh river, Erick van Egeraat …Continued
On Tuesday 9 March 2010 Design Erick van Egeraat organises a press meeting in the Erick van Egeraat office tower, also known as The Rock, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Erick van Egeraat, who designed both the exterior and the interior …Continued
River Park is an ambitious 150,000-m2 mixed-use project developed by J&T Real Estate. In addition to the Masterplan, Erick van Egeraat designed the River House residential building, the 5-star Kempinski Hotel River Park and the public spaces and promenade, a …Continued
Chosen from more than 100 international candidates, Erick van Egeraat’s design for office buildings in the Milanofiori Business Park in Assago, Milan, have been awarded with the Italian US award, 2nd prize. The annual competition, organized by the renowned magazine …Continued
Last Christmas Erick van Egeraat and his wife Tiffany van Egeraatova made a humanitarian trip to Hyderabad, India to visit one of the Centers of the Cleft Children’s Hospital which was set up nine years ago by their friend professor …Continued
After almost finishing the four buildings of the master plan by Erick van Egeraat, now the execution of the landscape design of the central inner courtyard, the “Ichthushof” has started. Besides the potentials of the site it was the quality …Continued
After having received the prestigious RIBA award in 2007 for (MIMA) Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art in UK, the design now has been honored with the well recognized Hadrian award. ‘The Hadrian Awards celebrate the best in architecture and the …Continued
In Lyon, construction works of the ‘Lyon Confluence’ residential project are progressing on schedule. The project is a mega-building, formed by the designs of MVRDV, PGA (Pierre Gautier), MGA (Manuelle Gautrand), ECDM (Emmanuel Combarel & Dominique Marrec) and Design Erick …Continued
The largest law firm in The Netherlands, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, has moved into the Mahler 4 office tower in the Zuid-As Business District in Amsterdam. Erick van Egeraat has realized both the shell and core design and the full …Continued
Erick van Egeraat lectured about the sustainable long term development of European inner cities at the Property Investment Forum 2009, in Budapest. The past 4 years, this forum has grown into the largest real estate event in Middle and Eastern …Continued
The construction of the first phase of the Milanofiori 2000 Master Plan, designed by Erick van Egeraat, is nearing completion. Together with the fully operational retail centre, the entertainment square with cinemas, a hotel, different shops, a fitness centre and …Continued
Erick van Egeraat presented the luxury residential project of Parma Santa Teresa to the municipality of Parma in occasion of an official council meeting. The first phase of the project, regarding the Urban Permits was afterwards approved by a great …Continued
The construction of the main venue for the Chess Olympiad 2010, designed by Erick van Egeraat, is proceeding exactly on schedule. The main playing hall is located in the centre of the building, to allow for well controlled light and …Continued
Erick van Egeraat’s design for the extension of the Drents Museum in Assen includes a new main entrance under the nearby 18th century coach-house. The monumental building will be removed temporarily from its current location to free the space which …Continued
After months of being covered by scaffolding and protection film, the facade of Trade and Entertainment Centre ‘Vershina’ in Surgut, Siberia, is finally starting to unveil. The end-result will be remarkably close to the original design, as is characteristic of …Continued
Erick van Egeraat presented his proposal for Imeretimskaya Valley, the area designated to host the ice-skating stadiums as well as the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Key part of the plans is a highly …Continued
Erick van Egeraat’s extension of InHolland University Rotterdam was officially opened in a festive ceremony performed by Mayor Aboutaleb of Rotterdam on March 6th. The extension consists of three interconnected parts. A lower, three-level building is situated parallel to and …Continued
Erick van Egeraat has won the competition for the Columbuskwartier housing project in the city of Almere, the Netherlands, with a unique design. A combination of apartments, retail, a restaurant and a public roof garden convinced the jury. Erick van …Continued
Erick van Egeraat has won the international competition to design the City Hall in the centre of Budapest. Out of 18 participants, an international professional jury selected his proposal, which combines restoration of the existing 18th century baroque building and …Continued
Monday, 22 April 2013
Erick van Egeraat’s review on the recently reopened Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam was published in the National newspaper Trouw today. The title ‘Gentlemen-architects rescue the Netherlands’, refers to Antonio Cruz & Antonio Ortiz, the Spanish architects who succeeded in a superb renovation, which Dutch architects never would have been able to achieve.
See below for the complete article:
Gentlemen Architects redden Nederland
Opening
Koningin Beatrix opende zaterdag het spectaculair vernieuwde Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam zoals ze dat eerder in 2009 bij het Paleis op de Dam deed; vorstelijk en met een zekere zelfverzekerdheid; alsof ze het allemaal zelf had gedaan. In het geval van het Paleis op de Dam had ze dat eigenlijk ook. Het resultaat van die interieur renovatie, van het door Jacob van Campen in 1665 gebouwde stadhuis, is grandioos en glorieus zoals we nu weten. Het Paleis op de Dam, royaal op tijd gereed voor de troonsopvolging eind deze maand en inmiddels ook van buiten gerestaureerd, was altijd al een beetje het troetelkindje van Koningin Beatrix. Nu dus ook het Rijksmuseum, vorstelijk, genereus en welgesteld, eindelijk weer open voor het publiek. En hoe!
Rijksmuseum van wereld formaat
Het resultaat is verbluffend. Grandioze uitstraling, herkenbare routing en een uitzonderlijk effectieve presentatie van Nederlands cultuurgoed van Rembrandt tot Jan Cremer. Het Rijksmuseum wordt in 1885 gebouwd door de Nederlandse architect Pierre Cuypers, ook de architect van het Amsterdamse Centraal Station. De recente verbouwing door het Spaanse architecten duo Antonio Cruz & Antonio Ortiz en de Franse architect Jean Michel Wilmotte duurde misschien meer dan 10 jaar en kostte meer dan 350 miljoen Euro, maar maakt het Rijksmuseum in een klap weer een museum van wereld formaat. Niet ten prooi gevallen aan de Nederlandse moderniseringsdrift en zo goed verbouwd dat het nooit door een Nederlandse architect zou kunnen zijn gerealiseerd.
Rijksbouwmeesters keuze
Verantwoordelijk voor de keuze van Cruz y Ortiz is Jo Coenen, die van 2000 tot en met 2004 Rijksbouwmeester was. Eerder had Hans Ruijssenaars, die feitelijk door ex-museumdirecteur Henk van Os was aangesteld, na vijf jaar werk het veld moeten ruimen. Een keuze voor buitenlanders was misschien niet geheel onomstreden, maar ook niet onverwachts. Jo Coenen, zelf een grote fan van Spaanse bouwmeester Rafael Moneo, heeft altijd al een grote sensitiviteit voor de vakkundigheid van collega’s uit Italie en Spanje gehad. Hij was het die goed heeft aangevoeld dat deze opgave er vooral een van vakmanschap en vakbekwaamheid is. Spitsvondige moderniteiten, maar ook een al te welwillende compromisbereidheid van architecten was niet gewenst.
Compromis
Bij de vooropening afgelopen vrijdagavond spraken de Spaanse architecten elegant en professioneel, maar ook gedecideerd over de opgave. Antonio Cruz: “Nederlandse collega’s staan bekend om hun innovatieve aanpak, maar dit gebouw vraagt om een andere aandacht, je wilt hier voornamelijk alle details beheersen.” Antonio Ortiz, zichtbaar aangedaan door gebrek aan zorgvuldigheid, wijst op een stel kabels die voor openingsfestiviteiten op de natuurstenen wanden en vloeren zijn vastgekleefd: “Ik begrijp de mensen hier soms nog steeds niet. Waarom?” Over de samenwerking met Jean Michel Wilmotte zegt Antonio Cruz: “Ongelofelijk, de zorgvuldigheid waarmee hij werkt. Elk detail, elke keuze wordt weloverwogen en heel nauwkeurig gemaakt. Wij hebben heel veel respect voor hem”. Uiteraard hebben de Spaanse architecten te maken gehad met de Nederlandse obsessie overal consensus over te willen bereiken. Zo moesten zij hun plannen drie keer vergaand aanpassen en de geplande hoofdentree in de veel bediscussieerde onderdoorgang vervangen door entrees naast en onder deze onderdoorgang. Petities, jarenlang durende heftige discussie in Gemeente- en Stadsdeelraad hebben voor veel ophef en de nodige vertraging gezorgd. Maar op deze vrijdagavond verandert de omstreden ruimte in een fantastische clubruimte; zaterdagochtend dient het -compleet met oranje loper – als ontvangstruimte. Volledig van glas voorzien wordt het één met de grootse entreeruimte in het souterrain. Ondertussen gaat -geheel in Nederlandse traditie- de discussie over het gebruik van de onderdoorgang voor fietsers, ook nu nog in volle gang door.
Voortreffelijk materiaal- en kleurgebruik
Over de geheel vernieuwde presentatie van de vele kunstwerken is al veel geschreven. Uiterst beheerst, maar nergens saai en museum-armoedig. Cruz, Ortiz en Wilmotte weten dat het vooral van het materialiseren van hun ontwerpen moet komen. Strakke eiken houten tapis parket vloeren in de zalen met aubergine kleurige wanden vormen een genereus decor voor de indrukwekkende kunst. Waar het bleke wit van menig museum de kleuren uit de Hollandse Meesters zouden trekken, versterkt de door Wilmotte geraffineerd gekozen bruin-paarse wandafwerking elk detail van de wereldvermaarde schilderkunst. Dat de Nederlandse architect Moshé Zwarts dit ontwerp met een “Rembrandt en Frans Hals zouden zich omdraaien in hun graf als ze zouden zien waar ze al die jaren hebben gehangen” en een “(veel te) katholiek” afdoet, zegt meer over het zijn eigen werk dan over dit schitterende museum. Rembrandt zou in zijn ogen wrijven als hij zou weten dat hij vier eeuwen later zo zou worden tentoongesteld. Maar ook de ingrepen van Cruz y Ortiz in de grootste ontvangsthal zijn verbluffend. De wanden, traptreden en vloeren zijn gemaakt van heel passend crèmekleurige massieve natuursteen. Massief, ja; nu eens niet als plakstrips van de Gamma op een ondergrond aangebracht, maar altijd massief (soms meer dan 200 mm dik) verwerkt. Dit maakt dat je begrijpt dat er van alles aan is gedaan om de fantastische collectie én het gebouw van Cuypers te versterken. Er is in Nederland gewoon geen gebouw zo goed ontworpen en gemaakt. Elke voeg, elk detail is voorbeeldig. Het is het resultaat van kwaliteit en doorzettingsvermogen; geen vrucht van het Nederlandse poldermodel, integendeel. Een goed product is niet afhankelijk van het proces, maar van de juiste gedachte en overtuiging. En wat een overtuiging, wat een verademing in vergelijking met de anders vaak zo armetierige detaillering van meer recente Nederlandse gebouwen!
Gentlemen architects
Antonio Cruz, Antonio Ortiz en Jean Michel Wilmotte hebben nog een ding gemeen; het zijn uitgesproken “gentlemen architects”. Nette heren in een pak. Geen zwaarmoedig betoog of geschreeuw. Opgevoed en opgeleid in een onmiskenbaar andere omgeving dan de Nederlandse polder, hebben zij van zorgvuldigheid en beheersing hun vak gemaakt. Wilmotte diende aan het hof van François Mitterand en verzorgde in de jaren tachtig het interieur van het Palais de l’Elysée voor de Franse president. Maar hij is ook actief in een grootschaliger stedelijke context. Altijd even geraffineerd en exact. Zijn Spaanse collega’s Cruz y Ortiz zijn beiden in Madrid opgeleid en bouwen zelfs hun grootse sport stadions met een nauwkeurigheid die je meer bij haute couture verwacht. Het merk “Amsterdam, Nederland” heeft een enorme boost gekregen; het geld is allang terug verdiend. En dat is wellicht het meest verbazingwekkende. In de huidige economische crisis, waarin menigeen in Europa de Spaanse overheid als verkwistend heeft verketterd, is dat land zelfs nu nog een voedingsbodem voor geraffineerdheid en finesse. Een finesse die meer duurzaamheid en blijvende waarde brengt dan menig krampachtig, door zuinigheid gedreven product van Nederlandse bodem. Misschien is dit wel de grootste verdienste van het duo Cruz y Ortiz en Wilmotte voor Nederland. Het besef dat duurzaamheid van onze cultuur en ons bestaan niet alleen voortkomt uit degelijkheid en zuinigheid, maar vooral uit zorgvuldigheid en generositeit. Een generositeit, passend bij een land dat tot een van de welvarendste ter wereld moet worden gerekend. Dat we dat in 2013 nog van een paar Spanjaarden en een Fransman moeten leren! Wat zal Rembrandt zich daar over hebben verbaasd en verwonderd.
Architect Prof. Ir. Erick van Egeraat
