In his design for the NAI, Jo Coenen housed the various functions of the institute in different parts of the building, all of which are in perfect harmony. The resulting ensemble blends in with its environment and establishes a relationship with the surrounding buildings. > Read more...
The Netherlands Architecture Institute in Rotterdam is the upshot of 150 years of efforts aimed at establishing a museum of architecture. The breakthrough that occurred in the mid-1980s, when the government also started to back this initiative, can be attributed to increased recognition of the cultural significance of architecture and urban planning. However, the question of where this museum of architecture was to be located had been the subject of much debate. > Read more...
The new architecture institute was to be sited in the "Park Triangle", a green urban wedge that connects Rotterdam city center with the river Meuse. Together with the "Center Diamond" and "Water City", the area, intended for culture and recreation, was a key element of the "Inner City Plan for Rotterdam" (1985-1990), the final phase of the city's post-war reconstruction. > Read more...
"He starts of with an aerial photograph of Rotterdam and all its intersections - that's when I thought, yes, that's it - this is what I see in his design. Moreover, it is monumental yet playful somehow." > Read more...
Designing a museum of architecture is a prestigious commission. The NAI was faced with an important choice: who should design the building? How should the brand-new institute present itself? In order to select an architect, a multiple commission was organized in the form of a competition to which a limited number of architects were invited. > Read more...
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