Tripolis Park as complex as it is honorable assignment for MVRDV

"Above all, we had to be extremely respectful of existing construction."

The forces within which an architectural firm operates are usually enormous. From municipality to contractor, from client to user. In the case of Tripolis Park, another important player came into play for architecture firm MVRDV, says Gideon Maasland. "The heirs of architect Aldo van Eyck had to approve our plans," he says.

MVRDV is a Dutch architecture firm, headquartered in Rotterdam, with branch offices in major foreign cities such as Berlin, Shanghai and - most recently - New York. Employing a total of more than 300 people, they work on projects around the world. According to Gideon Maasland, director and architect at MVRDV, the Tripolis Park project was extremely complex from the start. As such, it is precisely a commission that suits MVRDV, he says. "We deliberately look for projects that have an extra challenge in them, that are more complicated than others," he says.

Honorable assignment

Flow Development, the client, asked MVRDV some four years ago to help think about its latest acquisition: the three office buildings of the Tripolis complex, which in turn flank the monumental orphanage. "Flow Development's question to MVRDV was not about square meters of office space or numbers of toilets, but was much more basic. The buildings had become so unattractive that they were never fully leased. What was still possible with them?" That question was as complicated and interesting as it was honorable, Maasland says. "The Civil Orphanage is Aldo van Eyck's most important work, and Tripolis had been put around it like a protection. At the time, the new construction of Tripolis ensured that there was money to refurbish the Civil Orphanage. So we wanted to treat it very respectfully."

Wooden facade

That respect for Van Eyck's legacy was perhaps MVRDV's greatest challenge. Demolition, for example, was not an option. On top of that came an essential precondition. Maasland: "The heirs of Aldo van Eyck - his daughter and son-in-law have taken over - had to approve our plans. They are extremely involved in Van Eyck's entire estate. With them, we started working meticulously. Initially, they wanted to keep the buildings exactly as they were. Gradually there was a little more room for us, as long as we were respectful of what was there." In studying the possibilities for Tripolis Park, MVRDV was happy to make use of what the heirs made available in the way of original pieces by Van Eyck. "Studying these taught us that Van Eyck originally wanted an all-wood facade for the office buildings. But eventually natural stone was added under the window frames. We made sure that this all-wood facade did come about. That was nice for the Van Eyck heirs, because in fact we came closer to what Aldo had once intended."

Sustainability at Tripolis Park

MVRDV also made several modifications for sustainability, including numerous energy-saving measures, green roof terraces, water buffering and smart technology. Finally, a special eye-catcher is the new building. Maasland: "The new office building is now right next to the A10 highway, so it serves as protection - like a kind of sound barrier - for the three renovated office buildings and the new residential area to be created. Tripolis itself, by the way, once acted as such a protection for the Civic Orphanage." With Tripolis Park, there is now an impressive office complex in Amsterdam-Zuid that can last for decades. "And, not unimportantly, to which Van Eyck's heirs gladly gave their approval. They are very satisfied with the end result. For example, they think we treated the old building very respectfully," Maasland concludes.