UNStudio

UNStudio
Practice information
Key architects	Ben van Berkel Caroline Bos Harm Wassink Gerard Loozekoot Astrid Piber
Founded	1988
Location	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Significant works and honors
Buildings	Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart (2001-2006)
Projects	Erasmus Bridge, Rotterdam (1990-1996)

UNStudio (formerly Van Berkel en Bos Architectenbureau) is a Dutch architectural practice specializing in architecture, urban development and "infrastructural" projects. The practice was founded in 1988 by Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos. The initials "UN" stand for United Network, a reference to the collaborative nature of the practice comprising individuals from various countries with backgrounds and technical training in numerous fields. In 2009 UNStudio Asia was established, with its first office located in Shanghai, China. UNStudio Asia is a full daughter of UNStudio and is intricately connected to UNStudio Amsterdam. Initially serving to facilitate the design process for the Raffles City project in Hangzhou, UNStudio Asia has expanded into a full-service design office with a multinational team of all-round and specialist architects. UNStudio has an average work-force of 140 employees and a management team made up of two co-founders and three directors, Harm Wassink, Gerard Loozekoot and Astrid Piber.

Work

Based in Amsterdam and Shanghai, UNStudio has worked internationally since its inception and has produced a wide range of work ranging from public buildings, infrastructure, offices, living, products, to urban masterplans.

UNStudio projects include:

• The office complex for the Education executive Agency and Tax Office in Groningen, Netherlands (under construction in 2011)
• Erasmus Bridge, Rotterdam (1990–1996)^[1]
• Electricity substation Amersfoort, Netherlands (1994)^[2]
• The office complex La Defense, Almere (1999–2004)
• The Möbius House, Gooi region (1993–1998)^[3]
• Electricity substation in Innsbruck, Austria (2002)^[2]
• The new Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart (2001–2006)
• Theatre Agora in Lelystad (2002–2007)
• VilLA NM, Sullivan County, New York, destroyed by fire in 2008
• Five Franklin Place, New York City
• MYchair for Walter Knoll
• Star Place luxury shopping plaza in Kaohsiung, Taiwan
• Music Theatre (MUMUTH) in Graz, Austria
• Burnham Pavilion, Chicago
• David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport, Kutaisi, Georgia
• Arnhem Centraal station, Netherlands (1996-2015)

Former staff architects

• Australian Institute of Architects award-winning architect Andrew Benn

Projects gallery

• 
  Theatre Agora, Lelystad, Netherlands
• 
  Main hall, Theatre Agora, Lelystad, Netherlands
• 
  Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
• 
  Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
• 
  VilLA NM, Kenoza Lake, New York^[4]
• 
  VilLA NM, Kenoza Lake, New York
• 
  Galleria Department Store, Seoul, South Korea
• 
  Interior Galleria Department Store, Seoul, South Korea
• 
  Erasmus Bridge, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 
  NMR Facility, Utrecht, Netherlands
• 
  La Defense Offices, Almere, Netherlands
• 
  Moebius House, Het Gooi, Netherlands
• 
  Arnhem Centraal station, Netherlands

References

• Falk Jaeger: "UNSTUDIO", JOVIS Verlag Berlin 2009, ISBN 978-3-939633-84-6

1. Todd Gannon (2004). UN Studio: Erasmus Bridge, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Princeton Architectural Press, 2004. ISBN 1-56898-426-X
2. Rattenbury, Kester; Rob Bevan; Kiernan Long (2004). Architects of Today. Laurence King. pp. 210–211. ISBN 978-1-85669-492-6.
3. Manuel Gausa (1999). Single-family housing: the private domain. p.224
4. "Fire Destroys UNStudio's VilLA NM". Architectural Record. 12 February 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2013.

External links

• UNStudio Homepage
• UNStudio publications on Archello
• Baunetz Crystal Talks series. Interview Ben van Berkel 2009
• Interview with Ben van Berkel in The Leaf Review, January 2008
• Interview with Ben van Berkel on The T-Machine
• Designboom interview
• ARCspace
• UNStudio Projects
• UNStudio on Architecture News Plus
• New Amsterdam Plein & Pavilion NY on Yabbedoo Blog -