Ben ven Berkel, Co Founder & Principal Architect– UNStudio, The Netherlands

UNStudio is an international architectural practice, situated in Amsterdam since 1988, with extensive experience in the fields of urbanism, infrastructure, public, private and utility buildings on different scale levels. At the basis of UNStudio are a number of long-term goals, which are intended to define and guide the quality of their performance in the architectural field. They strive to make a significant contribution to the discipline of architecture, to continue to develop their qualities with respect to design, technology, knowledge and management and to be a specialist in public network projects.

Ben van Berkel studied architecture at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and at the Architectural Association in London, receiving the AA Diploma with Honours in 1987. His first projects were built almost immediately after founding Van Berkel & Bos Architectuur Bureau. Among the buildings of this first period are Karbouw, the Remu electricity station, and Villa Wilbrink. Being elected to design the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam (1996) profoundly affected his understanding of the role of the architect today and constituted the foundation of his collaborative approach to practising, leading to the foundation of UNStudio in 1999. In the interim a blue period resulted in the realisation of projects such as The Moebius House, Het Valkhof Museum (1998), and the Prince Claus Bridge (2003). Recent projects, which reflect his longstanding interest in the integration of construction and architecture, are: the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart and Arnhem Central. He has been visiting lecturer at Princeton and had taught at Columbia University, the Berlage Institute and UCLA. He is currently Professor of Conceptual Design and head of the architecture department at the Staedelschule in Frankfurt am Main (Germany). Ben van Berkel has co-authored a significant number of essays and monographs.