The site chosen for the dance centre is in the post-war Amsterdam district of Osdorp, in a small tranquil green area surrounded by residential blocks. One of the blocks separates the site from the street called Tussenmeer. The aim of the design is to create an inviting garden for the court's residents as well as to stitch together the secluded green court and the more anonymous public domain of Tussenmeer. That second aim is achieved by the world of dancers which breaks through the existing physical barrier. Dance has been chosen as the programme, as being an activity in which locals of all age groups and cultures can participate. It is also an art form that can attract people from outside the neighbourhood. These new duties are housed beneath the existing green space, which now raised becomes a many-faceted landscape. Holes punched in the surface form patios in the dance school and tie it to the garden. Each patio has its own ambience related to its use.

An important theme in the building's architecture is movement. The flowing frontage draws attention to and plays with the undulations of the roofscape. Similarly, the taut repetition of slender beams supporting the concrete roof creates an element of lightness in the spaces underneath. A second theme is the balance between interaction and privacy, important in a delicate performing art such as dance. To preserve this balance, the facade has been draped over the building like a veil. Overlapping layers create various degrees of privacy in the rooms behind them, but also allow passers-by a glimpse of the dancers' movements inside.

Place of education: TU Delft
Specialization: architecture
Tutors: Heike Löhmann, Christoph Grafe, Maarten Meijs