KAAN Architects

摘要

The Medical Studies Center, in the academic section of Erasmus MC, is a beneficent sea of space and light under a high ceiling with lots of glass. This used to be the second level; a paved exterior courtyard originally designed to guide the user on an attractive route through the complex. The connecting space never really worked. It has now been converted into a well-used atrium that connects various new educational spaces. The atrium contains comfortable study areas, with furniture scaled to the size of a room for study groups to settle into. The red carpet, together with the dark walnut wood, creates a subdued ambience throughout the public space, which is bordered by a 35 m long and 4-floor high bookcase. Opposite this, lecture halls protrude into the space. The study square spills over into the foyer, furnished with a service counter, a window with a view of the city, and an extensive outdoor terrace. Beyond the window, passageways running around the edge of the square's upper floor allow access into the lecture halls. Remnants from its previous construction, the sculptural concrete staircases cascading from the passageways once belonged on the building's exterior; now, they form part of the interior. Excavating new space out of existing buildings is the ultimate architectural exercise. The characteristics of the original building were thoroughly researched. While it may seem contradictory, this knowledge was strategically used to germinate a design that creates a new atmosphere. Consistent with the pattern of the existing complex and by employing existing supports, the study centre presents itself as an open, unbound space. The exterior view of the center is equally imposing. Rising from the anonymous substructure, the articulated cube with an enormous window offers a view out and a look in.