Babylon

Was the City of Confusion Destined to Fall out of Grace?

Student report (2024)

Authors

F.L. Schreinemachers Architecture and the Built Environment

Contributors

A. Broekhuizen Teachers of Practice / A - Architecture and the Built Environment (supervisor 1)
Faculty
Architecture and the Built Environment
More Info
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Published Date

18-04-2024

Language

English

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Faculty

Architecture and the Built Environment

Abstract

The motive for this thesis lies with public buildings that were designed for a specific purpose and seemed to meet the wishes of their time and place, but the popularity of which declined, leading to demolishing or large renovations. The building that is being studied is the Babylon building in the Hague, a multi-functional building built in 1978. After initial popularity, the building quickly lost its visitors and underwent a large renovation in 2007, only 30 years after its opening. The research question is therefore ‘What were the ideas behind Babylon and the way it was designed and how did this influence the functionality and popularity of the building?’. To answer this question, the building and its design process are studied at different scales through literary and archival research. Through this research, it becomes apparent that, while Babylon is viewed both positively and negatively, the negative critiques have the upper hand in every scale. Location and both exterior and interior design choices have lead to the fall of Babylon.