Daan Vulkers
Architecture of the Interior
The Place of Work
The project for the transformation of the former VROM ministry building in The Hague, designed by Jan Hoogstad, is driven by the idea to challenge how workspaces are conventionally perceived by proposing a series of radically divergent grand interiors for the public and civil servants within the rigorous framework set by the existing building. A section of the building is opened up to the public creating a public place of work.
Each of these interiors reflects the character of their programme through its morphology and use of materials. The result is a succession of interiors ranging from dense labyrinthian library workspaces, to grand public halls, informal meeting landscapes, intimate rooms and distinct courtyards. These characteristic interiors have been achieved by carefully combining new and existing building elements and provide a range of possibilities for the renewed enjoyment of the existing building and the icon of our century; the office building.