Accommodation and Offices in The Hague

Alvaro Siza Vieira – Two Houses, Two Offices and a Garage on the Van der Vennestraat – The Hague, Netherlands, 1988

Project: Alvaro Siza and Carlos Castanheira in collaboration with Architektengroep Mecanoo
Project: Autumn 1985 / Realization: Spring 1988

The project includes two dwellings, two business facilities and an entrance to the parking lot (the garage itself, like the other entrances and the slope, was not designed by Siza, but coordinated with him, in view of the connection with his project and the decoration of the park.
Halfway below ground level are the two shops and the garage entrance on a gallery. One of the shops and the garage entrance are bringing daylight with screws to the bottom of the garage. In the shops there is a plateau with two houses and a roof garden. The brick house (the “iron house” is more closed to the outside, but has a surprisingly high and bright hall, while the white house is open to the Van der Vennestraat side and has a horizontal organization.

The entire project, the building and the park were designed by Siza together with the palace in close relationship with the environment. On the one hand, considering the existing buildings by adapting and scaling in measures and directions, on the other hand the positioning and connection of a new quality: the park. The design of the building and the park are inseparable from each other.

In the same critical way, the houses are coordinated with each other: while one is white, smooth and modern, the other is brick and more closed, the closed house has white elements and vice versa. While both houses are located in the stone park, they have a roof garden near the greenery of the park and also the applied materials, brick and natural stone, can be found again in the park.

Siza's critical method leads to an exciting and delicate balance of contrary elements. These differences are carefully calibrated with accurate responses down to the last detail.