Study rooms

Dpai was asked to renovate an existing reading space and respond to the current demands and expectations of faculty and students, while reflecting the changing layout of learning spaces. A central curvilinear partial-height partition was proposed to provide three meeting rooms for small to medium study groups and video conferences, while retaining light and vision through the space with generous glazed panels. Access to natural light is a precious commodity in the modernist tower and priority was given to the open-study and small collaborative study groupings. The previously non-descript study room, a bonus space created as the physical volumes of the library, decreased and stacks were removed. It was given texture and a layer of new materi... More

In 2019, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra moved into a former arts and crafts school for girls on Gabriël Metsustraat in Amsterdam, fulfilling their long-held aspiration to have a home base for staff and musicians in which to work and rehearse. Built in 1908, the municipal monument designed by the architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage was not big enough to house the desired program. The complexity of this renovation project lay largely in reconciling various spatial needs, very high acoustic and technical requirements, and the wishes of both the municipal conservation department and the surrounding residents. This project was a community effort in other ways, too. Although the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra made a significant financial inve... More