FOCUS ON (RE)WRITING SPACES
For much of the 20th century, modernist architecture seemed to approach building sites as blank canvases. Without responding to a particular local context, buildings tended to be sleek - sometimes clinically so. The architect was seen as a solo operating visionary, imposing bold ideas from above.
FORBO FLOORING SYSTEMS HIGHLIGHT
In the late 2010s it became clear that the building’s technical state was deteriorating. De Nederlandsche Bank seized this opportunity to strengthen the original design, increase public accessibility and make it more future-proof and sustainable. They approached Mecanoo, a Delft-based office led by architect Francine Houben (1955).