Photo by: Design Boom
The Eye Film Institute by the firm, Delugan Meissl
associated architects, contains film theaters, archives, underground
filmography rooms, laboratories, and a popular indoor/outdoor public
terrace. Orthogonal forms are a rarity, for
slowly sloping mass dominate the composition of the building’s exterior and
interior. Literally speaking, the
architecture doesn’t relate to any of the direct context, though metaphorically
(as well as spatially) the design makes sense.
The “progressiveness” of Amsterdam is present within the Eye Film
Institute, but what exactly is the essence of Amsterdam’s progressive nature?
Photo by: Mike Jung
Photo by: Design Boom
The downtown area of Amsterdam definitely lives up to and
beyond it’s reputation. Window-shopping
for sex, marijuana themed everything, and the sense of a peaceful lawlessness
earns Amsterdam the defining adjective, extreme. Buildings bend, billow, and tip over the
streets as pedestrians walk, cycle, and ride about the city. Levied canals cut through streets, barricading
and organizing water so that it doesn’t cleanse the city of its desire. Extreme
isn’t just a word for describe negative qualities though. Yeah, the scale of sex and drugs is shocking,
but the depth and organization is amazing.
Perhaps it’s capitalism gone wrong.
Organization seems to be a big driver for those residing in
Amsterdam, because never was my experience chaotic. Whether it is a tool wall for a cycling shop
or a cheese wall containing more flavors than the Fresh Market, everything is
in order. The most impressive example of
order is the transit in the city.
Trolley cars, taxicabs (cars), pedestrians, and bicycles all
have their own pathways for traveling about.
The most strategic of them are those for the bike. Bicycle roads in Amsterdam are equivalent to
the part of I-95 in Miami. You have all
the proper street signs, scooters weave in and out of other cyclists, and no
one really obeys the traffic laws so if it’s paved, it’s yours to ride on.
Between the intense traffic patterns (as well as the
variation) and the level of sobriety (beginning around 9am until 5am) Amsterdam
is extreme. Extremely organized,
extremely clean, extremely one of a kind.
View from terrace - Photo by: Mike Jung
Photo by: Design Boom
The Eye Film Institute is just as extreme. In the main interior space, angular forms
provoke the occupant’s eye as the bartenders dish out drinks. Like the heart of Amsterdam, the core of this
building is mostly serving intoxication.
The space is set up like a theater; stadium style stairs overlook the
bar and out to the water. In addition,
café style seating fills up the interior floor and exterior terrace. In a way, the space is set up for visitors to
pause, drink, and observe Amsterdam in a similar fashion to that of a pedestrian
walking the streets (Like a theater where the curtain wall separating the bar
and terrace is a screen). The different moments for seating are organized by
spatial experience: Stadium seating for overlooking the entire scenario, floor
seating engaging in the activity of the bar, terrace seating to slow down the
stimuli while still engaging in the scenario, and a number of spaces on the
next floor to completely ignore the scene.
From an architectural perspective, the amount of usable space is
actually very small. The angled walls
enlarge the space while controlling the foot traffic; the counterweighted
ceiling eliminates the need for interior supports. So, although the setting looks aggressive and
intense to the eye, the actually essence (vibe) of the space is organized to
parallel the “progressive nature” of Amsterdam. Outrageous, extreme, unique,
organized.
Photo by: Design Boom
Photo by: Design Boom
Photo by: Design Boom
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