Submarine Channel

Since the mid nineties the architects of MVRDV gained much admiration for their extraordinary architectural designs. Initially in The Netherlands, for instance with an unorthodox office building for a broadcasting company and with the Silodam, a building that stretches out in the waters of the Amsterdam harbor, looking like a giant container ship. The colorful complex showcases MVRDV’s approach to density – a collection of several different neighborhoods condensed into one single building.

International attention came with the Dutch pavilion at the World Exhibition in 2000 in Hannover. MVRDV surprised its visitors by stacking Dutch landscapes into a square tower formation measuring 40 meters high. At the moment MVRDV is working on numerous projects around the globe. As diverse as these projects may seem, they all share the same challenge for MVRDV: finding original solutions for intensified use of space… by combining a variety of functions. The new market hall in Rotterdam is but one of many projects of MVRDV where this idea of producing, instead of consuming space, comes apparent.

Since their formation MVRDV has published visionary studies about global ecological issues, like KM3, a bulky book about how to prevent the sub-urbanisation of the country side. In their study Pig City, MVRDV proposes it’s controversial thoughts on accommodating pigs in high-rise farms.

 

Credits
Director: Noud Holtman, Camera: Stef Tijdink, Sound: Benny Jansen, Editing: Casper Sikken, Commissioning editor Submarine: Geert van de Wetering, Production Submarine: Olivia van Leeuwen, Production assistance: Marah Haan, Voice Over: Lotje Sodderland, Music/sound design: Big Orange, Produced by Submarine, Commissioned by DutchDFA.

Dutch Profiles is a series of short documentaries produced by Submarine commissioned by DutchDFA about architects, graphic, product and fashion designers in the Netherlands.
dutchdesign.submarinechannel.com

Dutch Profiles focuses on the conceptual, context-oriented and research-based practice of Dutch designers and includes interviews with, among others: MVRDV, 2012 Architects, Jurgen Bey, Claudy Jongstra, Gerard Unger, Paul Mijksenaar, Marlies Dekkers, Alexander van Slobbe and G-Star.