Cabbages, herons and ears of corn
Cabbages, herons and ears of corn
HEERHUGOWAARD (NL) - Cool is a new centre for art and culture in Heerhugowaard, designed by Soeters Van Eldonk architecten. The name ('kool' is the Dutch word for cabbage) carries not just the connotation of 'cool' and 'trendy' but also alludes the local inspiration for the shape of this building – red cabbage.
The firm is well known for its literal translation of images into architecture. The most striking example is the circus theatre in Zandvoort (1986), which, with its fluttering ceramic flags, is unmistakably a centre of entertainment. In Heerhugowaard, the task was to design a theatrical and contextual building that would suit the site. But the surroundings – a refurbished town centre – provided no distinctive themes capable of lending the building identity. During the design phase there was nothing but an anonymous, introverted shopping centre in grey concrete brick. Even the history of the village environment offered little in the way of interesting starting points. In the end the architects drew inspiration from the coat of arms of Heerhugowaard (two herons flanking an ear of corn) and the agricultural environs, where red cabbage is a major crop.
The facade is covered with glazed ceramic slates (beaver tail tiles) in an abstract depiction of the grey plumage of herons. The ears of corn are represented by the bright yellow and green pillars at the main entrance. The auditorium in the heart of the building has bright red walls decorated with the raised veins of a red cabbage leaf. Another link with red cabbage is the velvety red-purple carpeting on the stairs in the foyer.
Do these pointed references to the natural, agrarian Heerhugowaard setting mean that the building fits organically into its surroundings? Actually, no. This is, after all, a Soeters Van Eldonk creation. But it is certainly theatrical. (Kirsten Hannema)
Colour, Facade |
Netherlands
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