Minneart Building, campus of De Uithof for Utrecht University

The south facade The large letters identifying the building recall post modern architecture a decade earlier (See especially Venturi Scott Brown), influenced as well by Pop art. These are a full storey high and seem to have a support function as well. Some of the requirements for the building were related to ecological concerns. One solution (not depicted here) was to collect rainwater off the roof which was diverted to a large indoor pond. The water was pumped throughout the building to absorb heat during the day, thus a kind of air conditioning.
West end; central entrance; east end with restaurant
Rust-colored sprayed concrete in wavy patterns The concrete is sprayed on a mesh that is laid over PVC pipes that create the worm-like protrusions. The architects explain that this surface is intended to emphasize the monolithic character of construction inside while also being 'wrinkled' to express that it is only a skin.

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

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