‘connected The Imprint with its neighbours’,
says MVRDV principal and cofounder Winy
Maas. Made from glass fibre-reinforced con-
crete panels, the two structures were painted
predominantly white to throw the imprints
into sharp relief. The entrance to the nightclub
is the exception. Here, a sparkling golden skin
calls out as a landmark to passing aeroplanes,
while guiding on-ground visitors to the
‘doorway’.
MVRDV’s task – ‘to design an inter-
esting façade while offering only glimpses
into the building’ – resulted in a playful
boundary between interior and exterior.
Instead of inserting standard doorframes or
archways, the architects indicated entrances
by raising sections of the structures as if they
were flowing curtains, a link to the theatri-
cal and illusory nature of the spaces within.
Beyond the nightclub’s border, a walkway
composed of multimedia screens awaits the
visitor. These displays are reflected in the
sinuous ceiling, providing a dramatic first
encounter with the interior.
The client has deemed the project
a piece of art. Of special interest to Maas was
maintaining the momentum for ‘entertain-
ment to become art or for the building to
become artistic. What, then, is the difference
between architecture and art? The project
plays with this idea.’ The architects wanted
The Imprint to create a balance between
‘spectacle and calm simplicity’. Finding that
equilibrium, they say, is the answer to enter-
tainment architecture. – TI
mvrdv.comVisitors enter the 6,200-m^2 nightclub via a
walkway composed of multimedia screens.
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