STRAWINSKYHUIS

In the space of less than three years, the Strawinskyhuis in Prinses Irenestraat has been transformed from a relatively inaccessible complex into a modern office building. The building was recently taken into use. We joined Adam Smit from ZZDP Architecten to take a look around. 

Round and organic compared to straight and square 

The atrium also features another element that is hard to ignore: the ‘hanging’ meeting room. The cladding on it was 3D printed and devised by architect Casper Schwarz. He was responsible for the interior design of the Strawinskyhuis (specifically the section that will be let to law firm DLA Piper). Smit: ‘ZZDP Architecten is responsible for the exterior. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have any ideas to suggest about the Strawinskyhuis interior. Together with Schwarz we carefully examined how we could ensure that his signature – those round, organic and soft shapes – is also reflected inside, without undermining the basic structure of this building, which includes a lot of straight lines and square shapes. We’re very happy with the result.’ 

World-famous tile 

Although the Strawinskyhuis may now have a completely different look and feel, something on the external façade still harks back to the old building. ‘My partner Joris Deur suggested using hand-made bricks in a tiered joint. That way, you create a vertical texture in the façade’, reveals Smit. ‘The clay bricks are made by the Danish company Petersen Tegl. Whenever a tile is pushed out of the mould, it’s marked with a thumbprint, so that every tile is slightly different. Back in 2000, a museum in Cologne was clad with this type of tile, making it famous almost overnight. Ever since then, the tile has been used worldwide.’ 

Facts 
Address: Prinses Irenestraat 39-43 
architect: Adam Smit, ZZDP Architecten 

Tekst: www.zuidas.nl