Tag: ben-van-berkel | ArchDaily

“Suddenly, You Step into the Landscape through the House”: In Conversation with Ben Van Berkel of UNStudio

Vladimir Belogolovsky — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In 1993 a young professional couple with two toddlers and a large suburban lot in Naarden, a town less than half an hour's drive southeast of Amsterdam, approached Ben van Berkel to design an unusual house. They envisioned it as progressive and innovative in every way possible. More than that, they wanted a kind of building that "would be recognized as a reference in terms of renewal of the architectural language." Before settling on the architect, they spoke to several candidates, including Rem Koolhaas. They chose van Berkel who five years earlier, together with his then-wife Caroline Bos co-founded their eponymous practice, because as he told me, "I went to the site and studied it carefully and already had ideas about what I called the four quadrants of the landscape. I knew what kind of house it would be. I could see clearly where different rooms would go, how they would be shaped, and how they would relate to each other." The couple couldn't resist. Yet, there would be no rush on the project which took five years to complete, most time was invested in its design, going through many iterations and refinements, all based on the Möbius loop.

UNStudio Designs Hybrid Building in Luxembourg for a Reduced Carbon Footprint

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 06:30:00 +0000

UNStudio, in collaboration with local partner HYP Architects, has won the competition for the design of the Kyklos building in Luxembourg. The project is part of Beval, a large-scale redevelopment initiative aiming to transform a former industrial site into an urban center complete with a university and technological center, in addition to residential, office, and retail spaces. When designing the Kyklos building, which will occupy a central position in the district's main square, the architects set out to find solutions to create the smallest carbon footprint for both operational and embedded metrics.

UNStudio's Landmark Proposal for Peace Park Ferris Wheel Redefines Seoul's Skyline

Nour Fakharany — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 05:30:00 +0000

UNStudio, in collaboration with Arup and local firm Heerim Architecture, has unveiled the proposal for the “Peace Park Wheel.” Designed as a landmark at Sangam World Cup Park in Seoul, UNStudio successfully won the preliminary competition and is set to partner with Seoul Housing & Community Corp. The ferris wheel proposal is part of the mayor’s vision: “Han River with a Thousand Sunsets,” aiming to establish numerous public spaces along the Han River for the city’s residents.

AD Classics: Möbius House / UNStudio

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 07:30:00 +0000

In 1993 a young professional couple from Amsterdam set out to build a private house unlike any other. They wanted to create something that “would be recognized as a reference in terms of renewal of the architectural language.” They reached out to several architects, including Rem Koolhaas, but finally decided to entrust the commission to Dutch architect Ben van Berkel after he studied the site and came up with a vision for the project, relating it to the couple’s lifestyle.

Rotterdam City Guide: 20 Projects to Discover in Netherlands’ Maritime Hub

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Often referred to as the “Manhattan on the Maas,” Rotterdam is a city unlike any other in the Netherlands. The Dutch metropolis with its striking skyline, tells a unique architectural narrative with chapters filled with the rubble of the devastating bombings of World War II, followed by a story of reconstruction that transformed the city into a hub for experimental architecture and urban planning. Today a mosaic of architectural styles, Rotterdam has embraced innovation, becoming a global showcase for cutting-edge design and sustainable urban development.

NEOM Showcases Its Designs for the Line at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 06:30:00 +0000

At the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, NEOM has unveiled the “Zero Gravity Urbanism- Principles for a New Livability” exhibition to present the concept and standards guiding the design of the Line, their proposed 170-kilometer-long linear city in north-west Saudi Arabia. The event aims to introduce to the public an alternative vision for urban planning whose compact configuration strives to become a model for the development of more efficient and sustainable cities. Prior to the opening of the exhibition, more than 20 internationally recognized architects and designers joined the design team, including Sir Peter Cook, Massimiliano Fuksas, Jean Nouvel, and Ben van Berkel. The exhibition is open from 20 May to 24 September 2023 at Abbazia di San Gregorio, Venice.

Knowledge as a Disrupter in the Networked Practice of UNStudio

Sara Kolata — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 02:30:00 +0000

After the first years of launching their architectural practice, Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos renamed their practice to UNStudio. Short for United Network Studio, the change of name stands symbolic to the knowledge based, networked nature of the firm, which has grown to expand to 6 offices worldwide today.

121 Definitions of Architecture

Becky Quintal — Sat, 12 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000

There are at least as many definitions of architecture as there are architects or people who comment on the practice of it. While some embrace it as art, others defend architecture’s seminal social responsibility as its most definitive attribute. To begin a sentence with “Architecture is” is a bold step into treacherous territory. And yet, many of us have uttered — or at least thought— “Architecture is…” while we’ve toiled away on an important project, or reflected on why we’ve chosen this professional path.

UNStudio Named Winner of Landmark Melbourne Skyscraper Competition

Eric Baldwin — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 04:00:00 +0000

UNStudio and Cox Architecture have officially been announced as the winners of Melbourne’s landmark Southbank Precinct overhaul. Selected from a range of high-profile offices, including BIG, OMA, and MAD, UNStudio's vision for the $2 billion project includes a pair of twisted towers called Green Spine. As the largest single-phase project in the history of Victoria, Australia, the Green Spine is designed as a state-of-the-art, mixed-use environment centered around innovation in architecture and design.

UNStudio’s Ben van Berkel Weaves an Immersive Pavilion for Revolution Precrafted Series

Jack McManus — Tue, 29 May 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Continuing towards its goal of creating design-forward structures that are available to the public and installable anywhere, Revolution Precrafted's series has unveiled its latest pavilion design by Ben van Berkel, founder and principal architect of UNStudio. The limited edition Ellipsicoon (a portmanteau of Ellipse and Cocoon) is available now through Revolution Precrafted’s website, joining the selection of prefabricated pavilions and single-family home designs by the likes of Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, and Daniel Libeskind.

UNStudio Erects Pearlescent Structure at World's Leading Architectural Trade Fair

Patrick Lynch — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Employing the latest in aluminum and metals innovation, Ben van Berkel and UNStudio have erected the ALPOLIC fair stand at BAU 2017, the world’s leading trade fair for architecture, materials and systems. Emphasizing the inherent strength of the ultra-light material, the parametric design utilizes geometric principles to create a self-supporting semi-private stand for gathering and the display of products.

What Motivates and Inspires UN Studio's Ben van Berkel?

Becky Quintal — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 13:30:00 +0000

Last week ArchDaily attended the 2016 World Architecture Festival (WAF) in Berlin. Following his opening keynote address, we talked to Ben van Berkel of UN Studio who spoke of his interest in using technology in architecture to improve not only user experience, but to affect qualitative aspects of design itself. Together with his partner Caroline Bos, Van Berkel recently published Knowledge Matters, a book positioned "to help architects to run a better studio and to share knowledge."

Knowledge Matters

Rene Submissions — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 10:00:00 +0000

The profession "architect" has expanded in recent years, not just in terms of the cultural influences, but equally with respect to scientific advances. The inventive economy has also led to new lifestyle choices and a new role for the architect and architectural practice. We talk of an architecture that is either pre-crisis or post-crisis, the latter resulting in a call for responsible architecture (affordable, sustainable, attainable, and healthy).

This development led to changes in the UNStudio practice; with the introduction of Knowledge Platforms and the development from a network to a knowledge practice. Now compiled into an inspiring publication, Knowledge Matters

UNStudio Envisions New Transportation Hub and Development in Amsterdam

Patrick Lynch — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 14:10:00 +0000

Ben van Berkel and UNStudio have collaborated with a multidisciplinary team including Goudappel Coffeng (mobility consultants), GeoPhy (data specialists) and 2getthere (automated transit systems) to produce a study examining the future of infrastructure and city development for the area around Amsterdam’s A10 ring road and the Leylaan district.

UNStudio's Ben van Berkel Among 3 New Speakers Revealed for WAF 2016

AAA — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 16:00:00 +0000

Three new sessions have been announced for the 2016 World Architecture Festival (WAF), held from November 16-18 in Berlin, Germany. Adding to the impressive list of speakers at the event will be Ben van Berkel, founder of UNStudio, who will lecture on “Superliving - from exclusive to inclusive”; Carlos Zedillo of Infonavit discussing “Architect as instigator”; and Qutub Mandviwala, MQA, who will present on “Housing and cultural difference.”

UNStudio Designs Final Piece of New Urban Campus in Amsterdam City Center

Patrick Lynch — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 14:00:00 +0000

UNStudio has designed the final portion of a 225,000 square meter (2,420,000 square foot) urban plan for the district of Oosterdokseiland in the city center of Amsterdam. Located at the tip of the island, the last sub-plan will consist of a lively social hub and 72,500 square meters (780,000 square feet) of public facilities, apartments and office space for Amsterdam-based company Booking.com.

Ben van Berkel - IAAC Opening Lecture 2016/17

Rene Submissions — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 09:23:00 +0000

IAAC Lecture Series 2016/17
OPENING LECTURE
Wednesday 19th of October 2016
Lecture by Ben van Berkel - UNStudio

@ 19.00, IAAC Auditorium
Open to the Public

19.00 - Opening
19.20 - Welcome Areti Markopoulou
19.30 - Ben van Berkel Lecture
21:00 - Refreshments

Ben van Berkel, born in Utrecht, the Netherlands, is the Founder and Principal Architect of UNStudio in Amsterdam, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Ben van Berkel studied architecture at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and at the Architectural Association in London, receiving the AA Diploma with Honours in 1987. He was recently awarded the Kenzo Tange Visiting Professor's Chair at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. UNStudio is

UN Studio Announces 20th Anniversary Exhibition of Erasmus Bridge, New Book and App

Patrick Lynch — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 14:00:00 +0000

Marking the 20th anniversary of the opening of their iconic Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam, UN Studio, along with the Kunsthal and Heerema Group, have organized an exhibition demonstrating “the many and varied ways that the bridge has been embraced by the public and become a symbol of the city of Rotterdam.”