Residents of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, a municipality in the southern Netherlands, voted in favor of Amsterdam-based UNStudio’s design proposal for a new theater that will replace an existing, 1970s-era theater in Den Bosch, the colloquial name of this 141,000-person city.
The design, called Theater on the Parade, received 57% of 2,681 votes cast online, beating out Rotterdam-based Ector Hoogstad Architects’ more classical, brick-structured proposal. (The city also surveyed 5,000 residents.) The public’s vote, which was open to all local residents over 12 years old and ran through June 7, counted toward 50% of the municipality’s final decision.
The two finalists had been selected by a panel of judges.
UNStudio’s design for the 10,731-sm (115,500-sf) building integrates the theater’s four separate but connected volumes into its adjacent surroundings, which include a public square and St. John’s Cathedral. ArchDaily reports that the theater’s two auditoriums will feature natural stone facades, while the four-level, 19-meter-high public foyers will be wrapped in glass so the entire building becomes a natural extension of the square. The larger auditorium will be sunken slightly so as not to obscure the sightlines of the cathedral.
“Ideas surrounding sensation and cultural expression form the conceptual basis of the design,” explained Ben van Berkel, Founder and Principal of UNStudio.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2017, and the project is scheduled for completion by 2020. No cost estimates were released.
The larger auditorium will seat 950 and is designed with walls covered with wooden lamellas for enhanced acoustics. The smaller, 420-seat auditorium, called Paradezaal, will be a flexible space and retractable seating to accommodate different kinds of events.
Related Stories
| May 20, 2014
Kinetic Architecture: New book explores innovations in active façades
The book, co-authored by Arup's Russell Fortmeyer, illustrates the various ways architects, consultants, and engineers approach energy and comfort by manipulating air, water, and light through the layers of passive and active building envelope systems.
| May 19, 2014
What can architects learn from nature’s 3.8 billion years of experience?
In a new report, HOK and Biomimicry 3.8 partnered to study how lessons from the temperate broadleaf forest biome, which houses many of the world’s largest population centers, can inform the design of the built environment.
| May 13, 2014
19 industry groups team to promote resilient planning and building materials
The industry associations, with more than 700,000 members generating almost $1 trillion in GDP, have issued a joint statement on resilience, pushing design and building solutions for disaster mitigation.
| May 11, 2014
Final call for entries: 2014 Giants 300 survey
BD+C's 2014 Giants 300 survey forms are due Wednesday, May 21. Survey results will be published in our July 2014 issue. The annual Giants 300 Report ranks the top AEC firms in commercial construction, by revenue.
| May 2, 2014
World's largest outdoor chandelier tops reworked streetscape for Cleveland's PlayhouseSquare
Streetscape project includes monumental gateway portals, LED signage, and a new plaza, fire pit, sidewalk café, and alfresco dining area.
| Apr 29, 2014
USGBC launches real-time green building data dashboard
The online data visualization resource highlights green building data for each state and Washington, D.C.
| Apr 16, 2014
Upgrading windows: repair, refurbish, or retrofit [AIA course]
Building Teams must focus on a number of key decisions in order to arrive at the optimal solution: repair the windows in place, remove and refurbish them, or opt for full replacement.
| Apr 11, 2014
First look: KPF's designs for DreamWorks in the massive Shanghai DreamCenter
Two blocks of offices will be centerpiece of new cultural and lifestyle district in the West Bund Media Port.
| Apr 9, 2014
Steel decks: 11 tips for their proper use | BD+C
Building Teams have been using steel decks with proven success for 75 years. Building Design+Construction consulted with technical experts from the Steel Deck Institute and the deck manufacturing industry for their advice on how best to use steel decking.
| Apr 2, 2014
8 tips for avoiding thermal bridges in window applications
Aligning thermal breaks and applying air barriers are among the top design and installation tricks recommended by building enclosure experts.