The imaginary and the real; designing and building the BP Office – [part 2]
Just another plank on the wall
A big grass dune borders the BP office building. The atrium, the heart of the project, cuts into this dune. It is situated in between the land mass of the dune and the office floors. The wall on the hill side of the atrium is a concrete wall covered with wooden planks set in front of a soft panel which absorbs the noise in the atrium. It expresses the body of earth next to this open space. The horizontally placed wooden planks differentiate in size and colour and create a dynamic pattern. The curves in the wall subtly divide the long space of the atrium.
From the beginning of the project we were imagining a structure that would have the aesthetic qualities of rock and sand formations. These references were used in an abstract way for both the shape of the wall and its pattern to enhance the presence of the mass of the dune in the interior spaces. The expression of layers of earth gives the heart of the building a strong link to the business of BP.
Photos Edwin Larkens, 04-01-2011
Building completion: May 2011
Links to other posts in this series about the BP office:
Post 1 – Introduction: the exterior and the interior
Post 7 – Reflections and refractions
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
wow!!!!
let’s see if i can arrange a trip to rotterdam!!… I really would like to visit the site!
great job! take care!
The wall looks awesome! So masive and inspiring! Congratulations!
Ziet er goed uit! Mooie gelijkenis met die rostformaties..
well, to tell the truth I would have expected a sand wall eheh…not like that s impossible! http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/magnus_larsson_turning_dunes_into_architecture.html
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