Verbeelding by René van Zuuk Architects: A Multi-Purpose Pavilion with Serra’s Gray, Concrete Wall

This multi-purpose pavilion is located in the Zeewolde art track, amidst the water at the end of the park’s art track. Designed by René van Zuuk Architects, Verbeelding is a pavilion that serves as a multi-purpose center, hosting events, exhibitions, and lectures with 375 m². Completed in 2001, this pavilion has an elongated shape that comes from its Serra’s gray, concrete wall.

Site

Verbeelding By René Van Zuuk Architects 1

The art track is a seven-kilometer route, crossing an open-air exhibition of high-quality sculptural art while the sculpture park flows into a lake and surrounded by beautiful green slopes. This site provides a perfect location for the ”De Verbeelding” art pavilion. At first, this project was allocated to a site behind a complex of school and sports but it was changed for a prime location amidst the water and at the end of the park’s art track.

Design

Verbeelding By René Van Zuuk Architects 2

This pavilion is used as a multi-purpose center, hosting events, exhibitions, and lectures with a reputation that comes from a sculpture by the American artist Richard Serra called ”Sea Level”. This pavilion has an elongated shape from its Serra’s gray, concrete wall while the design inspiration is drawn from the barns’ construction in the surrounding landscape. A cheap construction is applied because of a limited budget. All of the structural, wooden trusses are identical but they are placed at a different angle to create an elegantly twisted roof pattern.

Structure

Verbeelding By René Van Zuuk Architects 3

The shifted roof surfaces of this pavilion can provide indirect warm sunlight through the top while the roof itself is made out of profiled steel sheeting and also cladded with corrugated aluminum on the exterior. The steel sheeting is covered with gypsum plasterboard internally and all rooms are placed in the main volume.

The glass material is used at the floor level to create a transparent strip, blending the pavilion into the landscape and giving a hovering feeling. The water’s constant reflection into the curved ceilings also can enhance the experience for the visitors. The glass front facade of the pavilion is highlighted by the glazed walls, offering a stunning view of the sculpture garden and pond.