ABSTRACT
The Faculty for Economics and Management (1995) by Mecanoo was the first in this parade ground of contemporary architecture. The large structure is arranged around three courtyards, each different in form and theme: the Zen garden was composed of rocks and gravel enclosed by façades clad in wooden panels; the middle courtyard was a bamboo garden with a galvanised steel, first-floor walkway; the third, surrounded by galvanised steel elevations, was a water garden, with walls of glass and metal louvres. Through their diversity of materials and spaciousness, these gardens imbued the structure with an atmosphere of well-being and a range of visual experiences. The rest of the design
exhibits similar variety. Diverse room plans, materials, and interchange between staircases and sloping ramps invested each area with its own identity. Each room had a view over the garden courts or across the natural polder landscape to the south.3
