The small city of Amersfoort, the Netherlands is rife with cultural institutions, such as the general city library, an exposition center, the heritage archives, and a school for dance, music, and the visual arts. While adding to Amersfoort's rich urban resources, these disparate facilities were previously scattered around the city, lacking any cohesion. That is, until the municipal government commissioned Rotterdam-based Neutelings Riedijk Architects to design a new cultural center and library, uniting all of these programs under one roof. The Eemhuis Cultural Center is composed of three stacked volumes that cantilever over the main complex. Each beam of the building houses one of the three art departments (dance, music, and visual art). Like a gleaming crown, the cantilevered beams are clad in shimmering metallic panels, and feature a distinct pattern of dotted semi-spheres that project from the façade. The subtle dot motif adds a bit of texture to soften the complex's large footprint and prominent cantilevers. On the ground floor, the public domain continues throughout the building, as visitors enter into a covered plaza containing a café and entrances leading to the various functions. The library and ...
The small city of Amersfoort, the Netherlands is rife with cultural institutions, such as the general city library, an exposition center, the heritage archives, and a school for dance, music, and the visual arts. While adding to Amersfoort's rich urban resources, these disparate facilities were previously scattered around the city, lacking any cohesion. That is, until the municipal government commissioned Rotterdam-based Neutelings Riedijk Architects to design a new cultural center and library, uniting all of these programs under one roof. The Eemhuis Cultural Center is composed of three stacked volumes that cantilever over the main complex. Each beam of the building houses one of the three art departments (dance, music, and visual art). Like a gleaming crown, the cantilevered beams are clad in shimmering metallic panels, and feature a distinct pattern of dotted semi-spheres that project from the façade. The subtle dot motif adds a bit of texture to soften the complex's large footprint and prominent cantilevers. On the ground floor, the public domain continues throughout the building, as visitors enter into a covered plaza containing a café and entrances leading to the various functions. The library and ...