Page 20 - MODUS NEWS 04

NEUTELINGS RIEDIJK ARCHITECTS
NEthErlANDs
rozet cultural center
Neutelings Riedijk Architects
Since its founding in 1987 by willem Jan Neutelings and Michiel Riedijk, Neutelings Riedijk Architects has established itself internationally as a leading practice that specializes in
the design and realization of complex projects for public and cultural buildings, such as museums, theatres, concert halls, city halls, and libraries. The work of Neutelings Riedijk Architects has received many awards, such as the Golden Pyramid,
the BNA-Cube, The Belgian Building Award, the Rotterdam Maaskant Prize, and the Dutch 2014 Heuvelink Award.
www.neutelings-riedijk.com
The Rozet Cultural Center is the new address for various cultural and educational institutions in Arnhem. A mixture of library, heritage center, art center, and community college gives rise to one of the most important public buildings in the city.
In volume and articulation, Rozet forms the architectonic transition between the historic and the post-war city fabric of Arnhem. The building lies at the conjunction of the train station area and the church square, which is the central route in the urban plan for the Rijnboog quarter in Arnhem. Rozet, with its cultural and educational program, provides an anchor point on this public route and a catalyst for future urban development.
Rozet has been designed as an urban elongation of the central route between the train station area and the church square. The core of Rozet is formed as
a glazed interior route that intersects the building on all floors. A lingering public gallery with a sequence of attractive squares, the space functions as entrances for the various institutions and reflects the synergy between them. Occasionally, the interior street takes the shape of an exhibition hall or foyer; at other times, it functions as an auditorium or as an ascending reading room with study sites. The visibility of this interior street from outside, as well as the apparent programming on the inside
as shown in the showcase windows, displays,
bookcases, and illuminated billboards, strengthen the public identity of the building on the street and city level.
Rozet’s façade is aimed at expressing public identity. It is built out of sandy, vertical concrete elements that display the building as a whole to the city.
The elements feature reliefs and rosettes, giving
the façade texture and the building meaning in
its analogy with knowledge. The mathematical, remarkable thing about the pattern of a rosette
or penrose is that it achieves a fivefold symmetry and can be extended to infinity without repeating itself. Its presence on the façade of the building represents the infinite knowledge inside, meaning it’s a cultural building, which houses the different, cultural institutions that share knowledge, and there is an infinite amount of collaboration and knowledge sharing.
A combination of choices makes Rozet a sustainable building. The interior street operates as a climate- neutral vent based on natural ventilation. The roof is entirely green. It is a combination of vegetation and a water buffer that contributes to the air condition of the building. Birds and insects benefit from this green oasis in an urban setting. Furthermore, the roof accommodates solar panels, which make a substantial contribution to the building’s energy requirements.