Construction on the European Patent Office building in Rijswijk, the Netherlands, started last week with a foundation-stone laying ceremony.
The building was co-designed by architects Jean Nouvel, based in Paris, and Diederik Dam, based in Amsterdam.
With around 80,000 sm and a budget of €205 million self-financed by the EPO, it will be one of the biggest office construction sites ever in the Netherlands until its completion in 2017.
The design is a tall steel building with a double glass facade, about 100 meters high and 150 meters long. The glass facade will be reflected in a landscaped pond. It will be a bold example of contemporary architecture, symbolising the EPO’s mission to foster innovation in Europe, according to the agency.
For more information, visit the EPO’s official website.
All renderings below courtesy Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Dam & Partners, and EPO.
Related Stories
| May 25, 2011
Low Impact Development: Managing Stormwater Runoff
Earn 1.0 AIA/CES HSW/SD learning units by studying this article and successfully passing the online exam.
| May 25, 2011
Register today for BD+C’s June 8th webinar on restoration and reconstruction projects
Based on new and award-winning building projects, this webinar presents our “expert faculty” to examine the key issues affecting project owners, designers and contractors in case studies ranging from gut renovations and adaptive reuses to restorations and retrofits.
| May 25, 2011
Hotel offers water beds on a grand scale
A semi-submerged resort hotel is the newest project from Giancarlo Zema, a Rome-based architect known for his organic maritime designs. The hotel spans one kilometer and has both land and sea portions.
| May 25, 2011
Smithsonian building $45 million green lab
Thanks to a $45 million federal appropriation to the Smithsonian Institution, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Md., has broken ground on what is expected to be one of the most energy-efficient laboratories in the country. The 69,000-sf lab is targeting LEED Gold and is expected to use 37% less energy and emit 37% less carbon dioxide than a similar building.
| May 25, 2011
World’s tallest building now available in smaller size
Emaar Properties teamed up with LEGO to create a miniature version of the Burj Khalifa as part of the LEGO Architecture series. Currently, the LEGO Burj Khalifa is available only in Dubai, but come June 1, 2011, it will be available worldwide.
