Administration and Studio Building in Hilversum, Netherlands
Formerly scattered among 13 separate villas, the administration of this TV network is now housed in a single building, with the different working areas located on separate levels. The open-plan layout permits a flexible arrangement of spaces and provides scope for subsequent changes of use. It also allows daylight to penetrate into the depths of this 50 × 50 m building. The interior is distinguished by its generous circulation routes, with ramps, walkways, monumental steps and cascades of stairs forming a “promenade architecturale” that leads past the working platforms and up to the landscaped roof garden. The steel stairs shown here bridge the space alongside the bold curve of the “concrete wave”. Suspended from a series of wires, the stairs are fixed at the ends for stability. The structural separation of the two levels and the use of different materials bring out the light, independent quality of this linking element.
