the new responding to the old
projectKABK Renovation
Duration1996 – 2016
LocationThe Hague
ClientKoninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten
Size17.500 m²
It all started with the design for a unified location. Eventually, the work expanded to the realisation of an auditorium, a movie theatre, a roof extension on the young state monument and number of other extensions, as well as the restoration of the neo-venetian facade and currently the restoration of the facade of the young state monument.
1930 - KABK
1934 - extention HTS bouwkunde
1996 - acquiring monument Bleijenburg
2000 - combining all in a unilocation
2009 - roof extension
2013 - addition to Bleijenburg and renovation facade


The Royal Academy was scattered over multiple locations, disabling the institute to present itself as a whole. From a managing perspective it was not efficient and for many students it was insufficiently recognisable as ‘the’ Academy. All of this led to the first assignment for the realisation of a unified location.
The student as the pivot. An academy that facilitates and stimulates the student. This led to the starting point of seeing the whole academy as one large exhibition space. The complexity of the organisation resulted in the introduction of the ‘vital line’, along which all collective functions have been structured.
This formed the basis for by now a 23-year long connection with our office. Currently, there is an ongoing renovation and restoration of the facade, which also includes a restoration of the original steel window frames.





