The Binckhorst in The Hague is one of the most promising development areas of The Netherlands. Over the next years, it will continue to develop into a high density mixed-use area. Among the tabula-rasa state of Binckhorst, a Public Building will be placed in the form of a music venue. Between the orthogonal high-rise blocks, a key-project will set the tone for the cultural development in the area.

This development will be defined in a classical sense. Research shows that classical music has seen an uprising with the evolution of the internet and specifically, streaming services (Roberts, 2020) democratizing classical music through mass accessibility and distribution. However, the live classical music scene has always strongly followed formal tradition, aswell as its corresponding buildings. Thus, there is too little attention for the more experimental and modernistic development of classical music architecture. This project aims to focus on manifesting this internet-oriented, more dynamic, and informal side of classical music.

This leads to the main question:
How can dynamic re-iteration of concert hall designs modernise the audience experience of the live contemporary music scene?

This question is answered through a series of research subjects; Object, Movement and Experience. The first architectural subject is researched through morpho-typological analysis of concert hall precedents, based on J.N.L. Durand and Aldo Rossi. Then, the second and third subjects are analysed by looking through the lens of praxeology and phenomenology, using theories of Henri Lefebvre and Merleau-Ponty. The fruits of these analyses result in a toolbox of design elements that will be used for the creation of a building typology that fits this new development in a long-lasting formal culture. The new project is to introduce dynamism, multiplicity and multifunctionality to the historical prototype, to allow for stimulation of the modernistic classical music experience.

Voor de MSc2 course AR2A011 wordt er een geschiedenisscriptie geschreven met betrekking tot een onderwerp naar keuze. Dit paper onderzoekt de architectonische waarden als gevolg van de Vierde Nota Ruimtelijke Ordening die in de periode van 1991 tot 2005 een onuitwisbare stempel op de Nederlandse architectuur en stedenbouw heeft gezet. Beginnend met de geschiedenis achter de ruimtelijke nota’s in Nederland wordt duidelijk gemaakt hoe beleid zijn weg in de Nederlandse architectuur heeft gevonden. Vervolgens worden de stedenbouwkundige en architectonische aspecten van het beleid onderzocht en wordt er vervolgens op verschillende schaalniveaus gekeken naar drie Vinex-locaties, om te concluderen dat de plaats, landschap en centraal gestuurde ontwerpvariatie een terugkomend aspect is.