Pop venue De Vorstin, Hilversum

At a prominent location in Hilversum, clearly visible from within the passing trains, the pop venue De Vorstin presents itself as an icon for musical expression. The building is organized in 3 zones: an entrance and foyer with the music café, the main auditorium clearly visible behind the foyer, and a service strip along the side for loading and unloading with auxiliary functions such as dressing rooms above. In line with its function, the main auditorium has a closed character, whereas the music café underneath it has a more open ambience.

The design of the building organises the passageways and the auxiliary functions as a buffer around the main auditorium and the music café, thus creating efficient sound proofing to the surroundings. This layout simultaneously generates the venue’s image: the spatial and architectonic representation is articulated as a box within a box.