NETHERLANDS EMBASSY, GERMANY, BERLIN, 2003

Royal Netherlands Embassy to the Federal Republic of Germany

Panoramic Walkthrough 1 | Panoramic Walkthrough 2
The Netherlands Embassy is a disciplined cube with equally disciplined irregularities which aims to facilitate a better understanding of Berlin, confronting divergent ideas about how the city, with its complexity, heaviness, opacity, and beauty, should build / rebuild. Traditional planning guidelines of the former West Berlin demanded that new buildings in the neighbourhood (the Roldandufer in Mitte) reflect the local 19th century architectural style. Planning officials in the former East Berlin were more open to innovation. As a result, OMA combined an obedient approach (strictly fulfilling the block's perimeter) with a disobedient one (building an isolated cube).
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FACT SHEET

Project:
Royal Netherlands Embassy to the Federal Republic of Germany

Client:
Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Dienst Gebouwen Buitenland, The Hague

Year:
1997 commission, 2003 completion

Status:
Built

Type:
Office

Location:
Berlin-Mitte, Rolandufer / Klosterstrasse

Site:
Facing street corner, park, riverfront

Program:
Total area 8,500m2, offices (4,800m2), housing (1,500m2), parking (2,200m2)

COLLABORATORS

Structure:
Royal Haskoning / Arup Berlin

Services:
Huygen Elwako / Arup Berlin

Project Management:
Royal Haskoning

Fire safety:
Hosser Hass + Partner, Berlin

Lighting:
OVI, Washington DC, Berlin

Curtains:
Petra Blaisse, Inside Outside

PRESS

New York Times, 15 April 2005
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CREDITS

Partners in charge:
Rem Koolhaas, Ellen van Loon

Project Director:
Erik Schotte

Project Architect:
Michelle Howard, Gro Bonesmo, Erik Schotte

Team:
Beth Margulis, Anu Leinonen, Daan Ooievaar, Adrianne Fisher, Robert Choeff, Christian Muller, Oliver Schütte, Fernando Romero Havaux, Matthias Hollwich, Katrin Thorhauer, Barbara Wolff, Bruce Fisher, Anne Filson, Udo Garritzman, Jenny Jones, Shadi Rahbaran, Mette Bos, Adam Kurdahl, Stan Aarts, Julien Desmedt, Annick Hess, Rombout Loman, Antti Lassila, Thomas Kolbasenko, Moritz von Voss, Paolo Costa, Carolus Traenkner, Susanne Manthey, Christiane Sauer, Tammo Prinz, Nils Lindhorst, Felix Thoma

Research: Bill Price, Marc Guinand

AWARD

2005 Mies van der Rohe Award:
The European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture

VISIT

Klosterstrasse 50, Berlin
dutchembassy.de
receptie@bln.nlamb.de