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Construction starts on two MVRDV projects in Taiwan and Holland

Construction work has begun on two projects designed by architect MVRDV, one on home soil in the Netherlands and the other in Taiwan.

The Amsterdam project is an incubator for creative SMEs made up of five stacks of concrete-frame cubes with a total volume of 30m x 30m x 20m. The fenestration includes a variety of window shapes arranged in a random order so that the building’s glass and concrete façade offers a different aspect depending on which side it is approached from.

The interior of the building follows the demands of creative companies for large, roughly finished, loft-like spaces favouring exposed concrete, aluminium and steel with no suspended ceilings.

Salt (MVRDV)

Rental spaces can either consist of a whole floor or can be divided into smaller units.

A solar roof means that the building will generate some of its energy; a private roof garden will be used as a social gathering space.

Jacob van Rijs, co-founder of MVRDV, said: "The harbour area around Minervahaven still has an industrial feel to it due to its scale. So our design reflects this industrial heritage by creating concrete loft-like spaces using exposed and raw materials."

Salt was commissioned by Dutch firm NIC Building Ambitions and is due to be completed in January 2018.

Work has also begun on MVRDV’s Tainan Axis project, which was commissioned by the Tainan City Government to transform a 5.46ha site around the disused China Town Mall into public space.

Tainan Axis (MVRDV)

The transformation of the mall and the nearby Haian Road aims to reestablish the area’s waterfront connection and stimulate its regeneration by encouraging the use of public spaces.

Once dismantled, the exposed structure of China Town Mall will form the base for the public square: a lush lagoon with dunes and playgrounds flanked by small commercial units such as kiosks selling souvenirs, a tourist information point, a teahouse and a gallery.

MVRDV will work with local firm Urbanist Collaborative and local designers The Urbanist Collaborative and LLJ Architects.

Tainan Axis (MVRDV)

Work on Tainan Axis is expected to be finished in April 2018.

MVRDV has had a busy 2017 so far. Work has already begun on its "reflective art gallery" in Rotterdam, Holland, a large-scale regeneration scheme in Germany and a 61,800 sq m residential project in the Hague.

Images courtesy of MVRDV, top image of Salt

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