Villa Prinsenbolwerk / mojo/architecten

closed

The historical context asked for a reserved approach; minimalizing resources to get maximum results. Big eaves cover the private terrace deck. Closed facades, with small openings, create privacy but still, let through daylight. By cladding facades and roofs with mixed yellow ceramic elements, a sculptural and abstract volume is created that in terms of color and scale, matches the adjacently located monumental white and yellow 19th-century buildings.The ground level of the home, where the stairs are located, is still following the direction of the old school, the stairs, and fireplace are merged connecting the living room with the kitchen. On the first floor we have the parents' master bedroom and the second floor is where the children of this family sleep in their bunk beds.The basement of the entrance of this new villa is located where the old fundaments of the school were, to make sure no historic artifacts were harmed in the building process. Because of this, the unique form of the school can still be seen in the floorplan and roof of the villa.Text description provided by the architects.The location of Villa Prinsenbolwerk has a rich history standing on the place where there used to be a school building. It was part of the then fortifications ofHaarlem. In 1900 it was transformed into a landscape park. The pre-war school building was demolished when the client of this location bought the site.