Poised above a lake on a forest of spindly aluminium columns, this eye-catching building is an unusual collaboration between design and industry, calculated to demonstrate in a poetic and spatial way the metals versatility. The program comprises of offices, exhibition spaces and conference rooms, serving as an information centre for the Dutch aluminium industry. The building has won a range of international awards, has been published abundantly and forms an icon for the aluminium industry worldwide. “I wanted to present the question of how something can be as light as a soda can, yet can support such a volume. This project was not only about exhibiting technology but also about stretching the imagination.”
client: Stichting Aluminium Centrum, Houten team: Micha de Haas, Stephan Verkuijlen, Machiel Bakx location: Houten, the Netherlands programme: exposition spaces, conference space, offices surface area: 1030 m2 status: built 2001 awards: 1st prize design competition, European Architecture and technology Aeward, International Dedallo Minose award, Primo Luigi Cosenza.
