Educatorium, campus of De Uithof for Utrecht University

Rem Koolhaas
1997




From the northwest: the Educatorium--an invented word

This new word was intended to suggest a learning center. Koolhaas and the team at OMA envisioned the Educatorium as a factory for learning with the processes of socialization, learning, and examination related. Thus they designed a building which blurred the lines between lounges, classrooms, and hallways. The ground floor is raised through the building and creates a striking bulge along the west end.
 

The northwest corner and the west facade

 

The north facade

 

The Educatorium is sited on a corner but adjoins a preexisting building at its east end.
 

Looking west

A unique feature of the Educatorium, which can be attributed to many of Koolhaas' works, is the fluidity of space. (see especially the interior of McCormick Tribune Campus Center, Illinois Institute of Technology.)
 
Sloping floors and ramps tend to create a space that is continuous and uninterrupted.
 

The west facade

 

The southwest corner

 

The back or south facade

Throughout the building, the north end is open while the south end is closed more. This difference is seen primarily through the use of glazing.



See index for other works on this site by Koolhaas.


Other buildings on this campus on this site include: The Basket Bar (NL Architects), the University Library (W.M.J. Arets), the Willem C. van Unnik Building (Lucas and Niemeijer), the David de Wied Building (Hertzberger), and the Minnaert Building (Neutelings Riedijk).

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© 2016 Mary Ann Sullivan. I have photographed (on site) and manipulated all the images on these pages. Please feel free to use them for personal or educational purposes. They are not available for commercial purposes.