Next to Amsterdam Central Station, a new building houses the Conservatorium van Amsteradam, which opened on April 21, 2008. Designed by Frits van Dongen of Cie., the buidling is a school and concert hall in one, which is situated in the culturally inspiring area of Oosterdokseiland.
The design is based on the “Engawa model”, which is the Japanese way of building. Here, the corridors are situated next to the outer walls and the rooms, including concert halls, lesson, and study rooms, within. Because of large windows in the front, sufficient daylight can enter the rooms. An advantage of this design is that noise is kept away from the rooms in which students study. Five concert halls with up to 450 seats, access to daylight, well-balanced acoustics and recording equipment offer the opportunity for students to perform in an suitable atmosphere. At the same time these elements and their location within the building emphasize that performance should be the most important aim of education. The building offers a vertical composition of rooms, organizing them into concert halls, foyer and public functions on the first floor, the study and lecture rooms above and offices and a library on top. The 25 Million Euro-building has a total area of 16.000 square metres.
