Flashback: Sarphatistraat Offices / Steven Holl Architects
© Paul Warchol
Architects: Steven Holl Architects
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Local architect: Rappange & Partners
Project year: 1996 – 2000
Photographs: Paul Warchol
© Paul Warchol
In Amsterdam, on the Singel Canal, this renovated building is the former federal warehouse of medical supplies. The main structure is a four-storybrick “U” merging internally with a new “sponge” pavilion ont he canal. While the exterior expression is one of complementary contrast (existing brick adjacent to new perforated copper), the interior strategy is one fusion.
© Paul Warchol
The porous architecture of the rectangular pavilion is inscribed with a concept from the music of Morton Feldman’s “Patterns in a Chromatic Field”. The ambition to achieve a space of gossameroptic phenomena with chance-located reflected color is especially effective at night when the color patches paint and reflect in the canal.
The layers of perforated materials, from copper on the exterior toply wood on the interior, contain all services such as lighting, supply, and return air grilles. The perforated screens developed in three dimensions are analogous to the Menger sponge principle of openings continuously cut in planes approaching zero volume.
© Paul Warchol
“Chromatic Space” is formed by light bounced between the building’slayers. At night, light trapped between screens sometimes appears as thick floating blocks of color. At other times the passing sun creates a throbbing color wash or moving moiré patterns.
The complex is entered through the original 20th-century brick courtyard. Passing through the interior reveals gradually more porous spaces until reaching the Menger sponge pavilion overlooking the canal. While the major portion of 50,000 square-foot project is workspace for the social housing company’s employees, the large sponge space is open to receive all uses from public gatherings to performance events. Given back to the community, the immediate canal edge has a new boardwalk.
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- ground floor plan
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- plan 01
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- site plan
Incredibly harmonious and complete in itself, while communicating beautifully between its components and with its surroundings.
3:19 PM Jan 24th
RT @ArchDaily Flashback: Oficinas Sarphatistraat / Architects Steven Holl. http://t.co/jMpaTy79 #arquitectura
3:26 PM Jan 24th
Flashback: Sarphatistraat Offices / Steven Holl Architects: © Paul Warchol
Architects: Steven Holl Architects
Lo… http://t.co/KXzy0NOa
3:31 PM Jan 24th
RT @cementos_argos: RT @ArchDaily Flashback: Oficinas Sarphatistraat / Architects Steven Holl. http://t.co/QfjKShUb #arquitectura
3:32 PM Jan 24th
RT @cementos_argos: RT @ArchDaily Flashback: Oficinas Sarphatistraat / Architects Steven Holl. http://t.co/l18w8xuj #arquitectura
7:50 PM Jan 24th
Flashback: Sarphatistraat Offices / Steven Holl Architects: Architects: Steven Holl Architects
Location: Amsterd… http://t.co/vE0fYuGK
7:52 PM Jan 24th
Flashback: Sarphatistraat Offices / Steven Holl Architects: Architects: Steven Holl Architects
Location: Amsterd… http://t.co/vE0fYuGK
10:18 PM Jan 24th
Flashback: Sarphatistraat Offices / Steven Holl Architects http://t.co/IvVLFPRc via @zite
12:44 AM Jan 25th
RT| Flashback: Sarphatistraat Offices / Steven Holl Architects: © Paul Warchol
Architects: Steven Hol… http://t.co/AXcY3JaF @archdaily
10:32 AM Jan 25th
Flashback: Sarphatistraat Offices / Steven Holl Architects http://t.co/tLcd79IS #Architecture #Architettura
11:01 AM Jan 25th
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3:46 PM Jan 25th
Flashback: Sarphatistraat Offices / Steven Holl Architects | ArchDaily http://t.co/JjejjXbj @archdailyさんから
4:06 PM Jan 25th
Flashback: Sarphatistraat Offices / Steven Holl Architects http://t.co/tyNmurJg
6:50 PM Jan 25th
Love the exterior color RT @ArchitypeReview: Flashback: Sarphatistraat Offices / Steven Holl Architects: Architects: http://t.co/EQEYu68F
8:57 AM Jan 26th
Flashback: Sarphatistraat Offices / Steven Holl Architects | ArchDaily http://t.co/ss7Y3Iay via @archdaily
2:30 PM Jan 26th
"Los edificios tienen que emocionar" Steven Holl http://t.co/TK0Qigkd
2:35 PM Jan 26th
"Los edificios tienen que emocionar" Steven Holl http://t.co/TK0Qigkd
2:43 PM Jan 26th
RT @at103: "Los edificios tienen que emocionar" Steven Holl http://t.co/1824ntpD
2:56 PM Jan 26th
"Los edificios tienen que emocionar" Steven Holl http://t.co/TK0Qigkd
3:24 PM Jan 26th
"Los edificios tienen que emocionar" Steven Holl http://t.co/TK0Qigkd
3:45 PM Jan 26th
«@at103 "Los edificios tienen que emocionar" Steven Holl http://t.co/x8pbuk52»
12:00 PM Jan 30th
Une référence de Steven Holl que j'ignorais, décidément un maître de la lumière http://t.co/DsBHQJja #Pritzker quand?
8:01 PM Jan 30th
Great photos of our Sarphatistraat Offices, by Paul Warchol via @archdaily: http://t.co/yoQgKPG1
8:01 PM Jan 30th
Flashback: Sarphatistraat Offices / Steven Holl Architects | ArchDaily http://t.co/8IkzZ0rV via @archdaily
8:03 PM Jan 30th
Great photos of our Sarphatistraat Offices, by Paul Warchol via @archdaily: http://t.co/yoQgKPG1
9:00 AM Feb 4th
Une référence de Steven Holl que j'ignorais, décidément un maître de la lumière http://t.co/Oypx1v6H #Pritzker quand? #miroirs
3:01 PM Mar 6th
Steven Holl's Sarphatistraat Offices was just published by @ArchDaily on #facebook. I am inspired by his phenomenology http://t.co/yMnjloid
5:41 PM Mar 6th
Flashback: Sarphatistraat Offices / Steven Holl Architects | ArchDaily http://t.co/7ZduGHVB via @archdaily