The last thing you want from a multifunctional event space is for it to be constrained by the design of its interior, so one art center has foregone any interior at all. Kunstfort Vijfhuizen, near Amsterdam in the Netherlands, instead fills its empty space with moveable architectural and furniture units.
Kunstfort Vijfhuizen is located at Fort Vijfhuizen. The decommissioned fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is said to be one of 42 forts in the defense line of Amsterdam. The art center makes use of the 8 x 35-m (26 x 115-ft) space afforded by one of the fort's old military engineering hangars.
The Moveables, as the collection is appropriately called, were designed by PolyLester and is aimed at providing a flexible and multipurpose interior for the old hangar. While the idea is reminiscent of reconfigurable spaces such as the Small Home Smart Home in Hong Kong and the Kinematix office space, it offers more adaptability by virtue of its elements being freestanding on wheels.
There are a variety of different types of units that can be arranged within the space for hosting different types of events, such as exhibitions, talks or meetings. There are four tables, a reception desk, a projection wall with storage space, a meeting room unit and two tiered stages that double as cloakrooms.
Each unit was designed to be multifunctional. The wardrobe and storage units can be combined, for example, and the reception desk has shelves and folders and space for two people to sit and work. The units can also be used as a means of dividing up the space.
In addition to serving the needs of the arts center at different times, the Moveables allow users to be creative about how it the space is configured. The moveable nature of the units is similar to construction games, jigsaw puzzles and computer games such as Tetris, with the design of the units contributing to this sense. They are geometrical and clear-cut in shape and volume, with a stark white and yellow color scheme.
The units can also be used outside and can be stored outside if they are not needed for a certain event. Elsewhere, the hangar boasts six industrial lights that hang from the ceiling, the height of which can be adjusted by way of a motorized system.
Polylester began work on the Moveables project in 2014 and, following some delays as a result of funding and architectural issues, it was completed recently.
Source: Polylester