Sandberg Institute

Interior design for an art school in Amsterdam. A series of transparent gates subdivide the spaces, creating multiple thresholds and visual relationships.

Interior view of the 1st floor of the Sandberg institute.
Interior view of the 1st floor of the Sandberg institute.

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Year: 2014-2019
Program: Workshops, studio spaces, auditorium,
kitchen, meeting rooms, offices
Type: Interior Design
Client: Stichting Gerrit Rietveld Academie
Team Studio Anne Dessing: Christiaan Bakker, Cédric van Parys and Joost Huyzer
Architect New Building: Fedlev led by Paulien Bremmer, icw Hootsmans architects
Status: Completed
Photos: Jeroen Verrecht & Johannes Schwartz

Subdivided spaces

Subdivided spaces

Working with Studio Anne Dessing, we designed a new interior for the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam. The interior assignment stems from plans for new accommodation for the Sandberg Instituut together with the Gerrit Rietveld Academie. The aim was to design a varied range of spaces for the students and employees of ten different master’s programs.

The challenge was to make separations between the various departments that cancel noise and provide a certain degree of privacy. But the design also has to communicate the openness and transparency of the institution. Therefore we proposed a series of transparent gates which can be opened and closed to establish multiple visual and physical relationships while simultaneously subdividing the space.

Gates and thresholds

Gates and thresholds

We visited several companies to investigate which gates provide a high level of acoustic isolation and could be applied for indoor use. Both, the large communal ateliers and the smaller private studios are subdivided by these industrial elements. Each gate has an integrated door to improve circulation and spatial flexibility.

Furthermore we have added some “specials” to spice things up. The lobby area—the most important threshold—is covered with iridescent polycarbonate panels to illuminate the entrance to the ateliers.

All projects

>