Architects always try to make the building work in reverse in relation to the Earth's gravity. In the case of NIBG, almost half of the volume sinks into the earth (4 levels of archives) while the other half sticks out above ground (5 levels, including offices, cafe & Media Experience), resulting a draw in this fight against the laws of nature. This building has 2 functions: it serves as a public attraction in Hilversum's Media Park, and also an archive to store 'treasures' consisting of Dutch TV & radio programmes. Facts about The Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision (NIBG):
- Archive: 700,000 hrs if audio/visual collections; 10,000hrs digitally available; 20,000 objects; 1mil photos
- Building: 25,000m2 in total; 6100m2 depot with 4km of shelves; 3000m2 office space; 3300m2 Media Experience; 30,500m3 atrium, 26m high, 16m deep; 10,000m3 of concrete; 2244 coloured glass plates with 748 images in relief on facade; 120m2 shop with furnishings on wheels; Grand Cafe with seating for 190 people; Parking garage with 185 places; Theatre 1: 200 seats, film & HD video projection; Theatre 2: 90 seats, HD video projection; Workshop area with 30 workplaces; Temp. exhibition place
- Media Experience: 165 computers, 160 LCD screens, 45 projectors; 100km cables; 2000m2 wood, steel & glass walls; 13,000l of chroma-key blue paint; Media panorama - rollup screen, 45m wide x 4m high
- Construction: Began May 2003; Opening 1 Dec 2006
The concepts behind NIBG are the main reason why I like this building: -
REFLECTION
As an architectural theme of NIBG, this is expressed on different scales. The stain-glass facades engages the building with the condition of the sky and clouds of that day, creating interesting play of light into the interior of the building (especially in the atrium), with its subtle reflection of colours giving the aluminum plates an appearance of precious mother-of-pearl. Like a medieval cathedral with high ceilings and stained-glass windows, the atrium displays an amazing play of colours, creating a welcoming & merry atmosphere within the space.
At night, the building is set aglow, like a beacon in a sea of buildings of muted colours . The relief in the glass adds an interesting layer to its play of light, showing off images on the relief glass either clearly or vaguely, arousing one's curiosity. Depending on the angle of light reflected off these glass panels, the facade can sometimes be matte or glossy.
In a metaphorical sense, NIBG is a place for reflecting upon the ever increasing information in today's high tech society, a mirror of society, as well as reflecting upon the time where these images and sounds are created, documenting all the pivotal events through time, immortalising things that defines the time which had produced them (e.g. fashion, hairstyles, language, humour etc.). It uses 'journalism as the gateway to historiography', as Keuning puts it.
PLAZA & SUSTAINABILITY
In contrast to many of Neuterlings Riedijk's previous architectural designs, NIBG is sculpted from within, creating a sublimated mass of space: a ;large plaza and atrium in the heart of the building. As stated by the architects, the empty space (as a 'counterspace' for the massing, a internal space) are a luxury: 'anything can happen (in an empty space), because nothing is compulsory. The cavities in our buildings are ... sanctuaries for the uncontrived; they are public places without an assigned purpose'.
The atrium is such a space, like a covered plaza surrounded by separate solid entities defining the walls of the open space. The slightly angled glass wall of the office wing is designed as such to minimise the southern sunlight, while light pours into the atrium in abundance without the need of artificial lighting.
The' treasure chest', a.k.a. the archives are installed underground, as if inside a vault. This is a ingenious move; to utilise the underground's temperature and relative humidity (which is more stable compared to above ground) to regulate the conditions of the archives. This in turn require less climate control apparatuses than a conventional above ground archive facility. Besides saving energy, it also suits Neutelings Riedijk's objective to produce a piece of architecture that stimulates the human senses, which involves a variety of arrangements and composition for the building. In addition, the enclosed box shape of the building also render it a vault-like quality; 3 out of 4 cheerfully coloured facades scarcely have any window.
DISCOVERY
Like a film scrip production for a TV show, the building unfolds in a succession of spaces. The arrangements of the building's program (offices, Media Experience, archives) mimics a functional city; each has its own strategic position, command squares, control directions. As one passes through its low entrance, one will be in awe as s/he set foot into the vast atrium, with its canyon like underground archives and terracing building elements, discovering new spaces as one goes across the bridges, stairs and lobbies that lead to other interesting spaces. Each steps bring different experiences to the senses. One may even stop to scrutinise the images hidden in the relief glass or Wall of Fame (sandblasted).
LAYERING
'Buildings are born naked & must then be clothed' is a famous quote by Neutelings Riedijk, indicating that architects are tailors that custom-make the costumes for the buildings they design. It also needs to have a sense of tactility (by applying the appropriate texture befitting the building), like the comfortable feeling the clothing exudes on its user. Apart from the seductive, translucent and brightly coloured glass screens encasing the NIBG, the 'layering' concept is also applied on the interior of the building, where the 'second-line colours' shine through the 'first-line colours': the fiery orange glow emanates through the dark, dense canyon; and hues created by the LEDs behind the layers of a pale fabric & wooden 4-point stars in the cinemas and , for examples. Other layers are hidden from view, such s the utilities and building skeletons/structures.
TIME
Time is a wave motion that doesn't move in a straight line, and 'every architectural intervention to have its own wavelength' or life-cycle. For example, the Roman buildings have existed for more than 2000 yrs, while commercial or contemporary units and residential houses have different designed-lifespans. Within the macrocosm of a city, there lies the buildings and the forever variable humans and their everyday-life gadgets. In another sense, the NIBG can also be interpreted as a macrocosmic unit, where it contain bits forming the offices, theatres, cafe, shop, archieves, etc., and the visitors (microcosm). All held together by the seemingly flimsy glass-skin envelop to form a whole, complete entity.
Time can also be read as a 'uniform or exponential acceleration' ,where media are constantly expanding through time, i.e. the numbers of radio stations and television channels today compared to decades ago. This is expressed in the numbers above the openings of the archive/ canyon: time is expressed in seconds on the top most level, and the time span gets longer as it gets deeper (e.g. hrs, months, or even years (?)). This numeric system is non-functional, of course. It's just a way of representing the concepts/ideas of the architects. Yet, the most important aspect of time is articulated through the archive materials themselves, showcasing the cultural heritage of the Dutch society since the bygone days till now.
To me, the architects has indeed successfully 'captured' the intangible, immaterial phenomena; time, light & sound. Its simultaneously light and heavy quality do suggest that important things are stored within, like the Pandora Box (in a good sense). The whole building forms a personal relationship between a human & a building, through its rhythmic spaces and volumes, selective projection of building elements, lights and sounds, and the human's sensory factors that enable them to see, feel, touch, taste and smell the architecture and the spaces. This building represents the present, with its modern design and technology, but at the same time, brings nostalgic memories to the society.
Reference:
Keuning D. 2007, Beeld en Geluid - Sound & Vision, BIS Publishers, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
