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MVRDV adds a protective design to Aldo van Eyck's Tripolis complex in Amsterdam

2024-11-05T15:41:00-05:00

MVRDV has completed the restoration of Aldo Van Eyck’s Tripolis Park office complex in Amsterdam.

The project, which founder Winy Maas says was deeply personal to him as a fan of the eccentric late Structuralist master, re-establishes two buildings within the monumental original design to cater to Uber and other high-end tenants while greening the site and constructing a new 12-story 'landscraper' to protect against vehicular noise pollution.

Image: © Ossip van Duivenbode

The complex links to one of Van Eyck’s most beloved designs, the Amsterdam Orphanage from 1960. MVRDV felt it was their responsibility to protect both its future and the architectural character of the Tripolis buildings’ facades—an act which required careful research done in unison with surviving Van Eyck family members and his available archives.

Image: © Ossip van Duivenbode

The work they performed thereafter included adding an all-wood cladding material outside, while designing a more usable office environment i...

Risk-Averse Design: What would Aldo van Eyck think of playgrounds today?

2019-11-01T10:28:00-04:00

Going to the park and playing in the playground is a memorable childhood past time. However, with the increase of risk-averse design, have these beloved spaces for children to frolic, climb, and fall become too dull for children? Oliver Wainwright of the Guardian addresses an excellent perspective towards these "risk-averse" play areas, outlining how "architects are taking issue with risk-averse playgrounds full of sluggish roundabouts and tiny climbing frames."

Regarding this specific subject, it's difficult not to think of Aldo van Eyck and his iconic playground designs found throughout Amsterdam. The famed Dutch architect played a pivotal role in transforming Amsterdam's playground landscape for children after World War II.

Image courtesy of WikiCommons

Thanks to Mariabruna Fabrizi of SOCKS, her informative piece on van Eyck analyzes details highlighting his 30 year research and its relevance to urban design for children. Fab...