Anyone remember MVRDV's Dutch Pavilion at the 2000 World Expo in Hanover, Germany? With its six layers of distinct Dutch landscapes stacked into one compact tower, the highly conceptual attraction was an instant audience favorite and a seminal early project in the studio's history.

Since then, nearly two decades have passed, and while MVRDV has grown into an established design force, the neglected, fenced-off structure has fallen into severe disrepair. There may be new hope on the horizon for the former pavilion though, as the Rotterdam-based architects just revealed designs for Expo Pavilion 2.0: a major conversion into a co-working office building surrounded by new a housing and mixed-use development.

"The current project maintains this 'stacked landscape' concept, renovating the existing building and adding two stepped buildings on the perimeter of the original site," explains MVRDV's description of the planned transformation.

"The renovated pavilion will house co-working offices and meeting rooms, with particular attention given to maintaining the features of the original design and converting them into office elements. For example, the 1st floor, which originally housed a grid of greenhouses, will keep its strict rectilinear layout as an office, while the pods on the 2nd floor – originally planters – will be glazed and converted into meeting rooms and office spaces. Other features that will be retained are the forest level and the exterior staircases; the ground-level 'dunes' will be retained as a meeting point with small cafés and exhibition areas, and the rooftop dome that was formerly home to a restaurant will now host a new fast-casual restaurant."

"The two new buildings add student housing (in the larger building) with offices and parking (in the smaller building). These form perimeter blocks around the site, stepping down to create an entry point on the west of the site that provides access to the landscaped courtyard in the centre of the ensemble. In a twist on the concept of stacked landscapes, the new buildings’ stepped roofs will form a series of colourful, accessible terraces with a different function on each terrace, from gardens and sports facilities to study areas and a cinema. These terraces are linked together by a coloured surface that extends like a ribbon over the new volumes, defining uses and spaces. Where new facades are required to enclose the pavilion, high-transparency glass is used to maintain the design’s open and transparent character."

"The larger of the new buildings has nine above-ground levels hosting 370 apartments for students. The lowest level includes a bike parking system with more than 300 bike spots. Meanwhile the smaller building has five above-ground levels and one basement level. The three upper levels host offices and meeting rooms, while the basement and the first two levels host parking for the whole site."

"This new phase of the Expo Pavilion’s story builds on the building’s reputation as an important reference for sustainable architecture. Not only will the forest level remain an exemplary instance of natural elements added to the built environment, it will also become a showcase for the reuse of existing structures, showing how buildings can be designed with future adaptations in mind."

Commenting on why it took so long to breathe new life into the famed but ultimately abandoned building, MVRDV stated: "The original pavilion was not transformed earlier as all previous initiatives – and there were countless – failed. However as the city expanded, the area that was once on the fringes is becoming more active and populated, making new developments possible. The structure itself stood exposed to the elements for 20 years, becoming a ruin – albeit one in remarkable structural condition, while the forest on the 3rd floor kept growing by itself. During this time, the city of Hannover played a crucial supportive role in maintaining the pavilion as one of the few remaining key structures from the World Expo. Now, the Holland Creates Space concept in which most of the site remained unbuilt during the Expo proves to be a key element in the re-development. Without the additional revenues of the efficient new buildings, the renovation of the “inefficient” pavilion would be impossible."

Project Details

Size and Program: Pavilion building: 6,300m2 office and coworking; New buildings: 18,900m2 student housing, offices, parking
MVRDV Founding Partner in charge: Jacob van Rijs
Co-architect: AI+P Planungs GmbH
Landscape architect: Lad+ landschaftsarchitektur diekmann