B.C.P. Jansen Instituut

The B.C.P. Jansen Instituut, part of the University of Amsterdam and sited on the Plantage Muidergracht, has been renovated, converted and enlarged. The teaching zone has been reconfigured spatially with a central main entrance.Facades of transparent anti-sun glass front the public spaces beyond; the non-vision areas of the frontage are of non transparent glazing. On the water side, the south wall of the elongated complex is punctured at level 01 by a jutting transparent volume containing the foyer of the lecture halls. Besides glass, this part is assembled from low-maintenance materials such as concrete, aluminium, steel and wood. The office portion housing the University's IT department has been renovated. The new facades are in brick with window openings of maximum size. A backward-leaning glass roof structure is to optically retain the original building's present height on the street side. It also compensates for the impression of bulk given by the original portion. Inside, the finish is restrained, objective and sustainable throughout. Splashes of colour (the balustrades) give the building a personality of its own.