City Hall Willich
TYPOLOGY: Office
COUNTRY: Germany
CITY: Willich
YEAR: 2003
COMPETITION: 2001, First prize
GFA: 2.630 sqm
CLIENT: Stadt Willich
PHOTOS: © Christian Richters, © BOLLES+WILSON
The entrance to Schlosspark Neersen is framed by the parallel sides of the Schloss / City Hall and the new building for the City Hall technical Departments.
With its wide span-cantilevered canopy and transparent facade the new addition presents its functions like a building scale vitrine.
The enclosing back wall is in a discrete and modest industrial brick, in keeping with the suburban surrounds and at the same time a reference to the nearby Mies van der Rohe Haus Lange and Haus Esters.
Rationalist Apartments
TYPOLOGY: Residential
COUNTRY: Albania
CITY: Tirana
YEAR: 2009
An eight floor building axially adjacent to the University ensemble – the axial focus of Tirana’s 1930’s Italian Masterplan.
Mass is emphasized, balconies internalized as loggias. Materials are reduced to those fitting historical precedent and the current possibilities of construction in Tirana. The particular ‘haptic’ of the base is achieved with wide mortar joints and intentionally irregular layers of broken (reject) tile fragments.
BEIC
TYPOLOGY: Cultural
COUNTRY: Italy
CITY: Milan
YEAR: (final design 2005)
COMPETITION: Invited Competition 2001, 1st Prize
GFA: 83.000 sqm
CLIENT: Fondazione BEIC, Milan
COLABORATORS: ati BEIC Milan: BOLLES+WILSON with ahw Ingenieure and alterstudio partners
PHOTOS MODEL: © Tomasz Sameck
MEDIA: 900.000 books, 150.000 audio-visual media, 3.500 user seats
The BEIC is in the state of becoming. It already exists on the agendas of countless participating planners, librarians, expertly shepherding clients, politicians, Milanese and other future users. As the planning steadily marches through preliminare, definitivo and on to esecutivo phases, expectations multiply (optimism is contagious) and the physical character, the individuality, the unique spaces of this exceptional endeavour come ever more sharply into focus. Despite the grand scale the building conjures a certain intimacy for individual users. It invents an entirely new constellation of the ‘house of knowledge’, where digital ephemerality cohabits with our old friend the book. The emerging BEIC remains true to the concept that won the architectural competition. Within this architectural and organizational framework countless refinements have been invented (terracotta facade, the bar-chart-acoustically-absorptive interior panelling) and significant opportunities like the earthquake resistant wave-like ceilings have been identified and integrated.
Urban Concept – The site is linear, as is the remembered trajectory of the Stazione Vittoria. The BEIC’s two doors address the east (the centre of Milan, Viale Umbria) and the west (new subway exit, Viale Mugello and the new sport and recreation landscape beyond). An east-west pedestrian walkway runs not parallel to but through the BEIC – urban networking.
A 36 m high Urban Landmark – A vessel of culture and information, invitation, frame and enabler to multiple passages and trajectories. Entrance ramps fold surrounding pavements up to the +5.00 piazza, entrances and lobby. Reading arms extend out from the main volume.
Windows like that to the main elevator lobby on axis with the Via Vertoiba, tie through framed views the interior back into the urban context.
The terraces of the various departments frame a communicative forum, a landscape of knowledge. Reading salons nestled into the sidewalls of the frame or balcony edge desks offer a wide variety of working atmospheres. Warm acoustically absorptive materials provide the required library ambience.
Program – A 5 m high socle contains all functions outside the controlled library – Conference, Teaching Centre, Media Forum, Childrens Library with garden, carparks. The walkthrough Lobby gives a visual orientation to all departments galleried above. It flows into the entrance, general information and reference zones. Reading Rooms are on the north side, Users Own in the east arm, connecting to youth areas. Departments are on three upper balconies, with variable stores and connected via ramps in the reading arms – a flowing together. Workshops, offices and administration are in the 3 storey arm along the Via Monte Ortigara.
RS+Yellow Distribution – Phase 3
TYPOLOGY: Office, Residential
COUNTRY: German
CITY: Münster
YEAR: 2018
GFA: 2.600 sqm
CLIENT: Rainer Scholze
The big box warehouse provides a monumental podium for an enigmatic folded form hovering above the (unseen from the street) water roof.The primary function is obviously storage, three levels of furniture to be distributed to the Germany wide network of RS+Yellow outlets. Pajama striped aerated-concrete façade panels are interspersed with vertical smoke vents. Such vents are usually found on the roof of this pragmatic typology but here the roof (like in RS+Yellow Distribution – Phase 2) is flooded – an infinity pool, based on those seen by the client in South East Asia where he regularly travelled buying furniture. His plan was not only to work every day gazing out across his dreamlike waterscape, but also to spend his nights hovering above the rooftops of an unsuspecting Münster, Villa and Office Pavilion are thus connected by a bridge-box. Tragically Rainer Scholze did not live to see his vision complete. His private suite was not constructed and the living spaces now function as meeting and conference rooms for the co-operative he set up for his employees.
2: RS+Yellow Distribution - Phase 2
3: RS+Yellow Distribution - Phase 3
CITADEL + THRINON HENGELO NL. 2005
TYPOLOGY: Residential
COUNTRY: The Netherlands
CITY: Hengelo
YEAR: 2005
GFA: 25.000 m²
PARTNER: Bureau Boukunde, Rotterdam
PHOTOS: © BOLLES+WILSON
While paying our last respects to the soon to be demolished V&D department store in Hengelo we revisited our 2005 housing ensemble around the corner.
CITADEL + THRINON
(formally known as THIEMSLAND)
BOLLES+WILSON 1998–2005
Generous balconies in the three Citadel buildings overlook the expansive park.
Balcony planting signals happy occupants (blocks J + I)
Like all BOLLES+WILSON projects, the (then called) Thiemsland choreography
began with a hand sketch
