Netherlands American Cemetery Visitor Center
Margraten, NL · 2018
Photo · Simon Menges
A low concrete visitor center pavilion designed by KAAN Architecten, featuring board-formed surfaces hovering above a transparent glazed base within an arboreal landscape.
- What we like about this project
- The monolithic concrete volume appears weightless as it floats entirely above a transparent glazed reception perimeter.
Materials
- board-formed-concrete
- glass
- stone
- steel
Visual identifiers
- board-formed-concrete
- recessed-glazing
- descending-ramp
- park-setting
Style tags
- contemporary
- minimalist
- monumental
Visual tags
- pavilion
- landscape-integration
- monolithic
- horizontal
- visitor-center
- Geometry
- Single-story horizontal rectangular mass resting on a recessed glazed base, approached by a gently descending axial ramp.
- Facade system
- Board-formed in-situ concrete upper band over continuous floor-to-ceiling glass perimeter wall.
- Structural guess
- Concrete slab and wall system cantilevered or column-supported over a recessed glass perimeter.
- Spatial scale
- Low horizontal pavilion dwarfed by towering park trees, bringing human scale down near the glazed base and approach ramp.
- Lighting
- Diffused overcast daylight with soft shadows under autumn foliage.
- Atmosphere
- Serene and contemplative, framed by the quiet presence of autumn trees and heavy floating concrete.
- Environmental context
- Parkland setting featuring mature deciduous trees with yellow autumn leaves and manicured lawns.
- Spatial experience
- Approach through mature trees leads to a sunken threshold where heavy concrete hovers lightly above a continuous ribbon of glass.
- Composition rhythm
- Strong horizontal stratification between heavy solid top and transparent base, framed vertically by tree trunks.
- Style reading
- Contemporary monumental minimalism integrated with landscape
- Program
- Visitor center or cultural pavilion
- Perspective
- Exterior Facade
- Discipline
- architecture
- Materials
- board-formed-concrete, glass, stone, steel
- Visual identifiers
- board-formed-concrete, recessed-glazing, descending-ramp, park-setting
- Style tags
- contemporary, minimalist, monumental
- Visual tags
- pavilion, landscape-integration, monolithic, horizontal, visitor-center
- Geometry
- Single-story horizontal rectangular mass resting on a recessed glazed base, approached by a gently descending axial ramp.
- Facade system
- Board-formed in-situ concrete upper band over continuous floor-to-ceiling glass perimeter wall.
- Structural guess
- Concrete slab and wall system cantilevered or column-supported over a recessed glass perimeter.
- Spatial scale
- Low horizontal pavilion dwarfed by towering park trees, bringing human scale down near the glazed base and approach ramp.
- Lighting
- Diffused overcast daylight with soft shadows under autumn foliage.
- Atmosphere
- Serene and contemplative, framed by the quiet presence of autumn trees and heavy floating concrete.
- Environmental context
- Parkland setting featuring mature deciduous trees with yellow autumn leaves and manicured lawns.
- Spatial experience
- Approach through mature trees leads to a sunken threshold where heavy concrete hovers lightly above a continuous ribbon of glass.
- Composition rhythm
- Strong horizontal stratification between heavy solid top and transparent base, framed vertically by tree trunks.
- Style reading
- Contemporary monumental minimalism integrated with landscape
- Program
- Visitor center or cultural pavilion
- Perspective
- Exterior Facade
- Discipline
- architecture