Erasmus Medical Centre

The Erasmus MC is a large complex which most eye-catching feature is the white tower of the Medical Faculty, designed in 1965-68 by OD 205, right next to the Dijkzigt Hospital (built between 1952-61).

Subsequently the Sophia Children’s Hospital was built and the old Dijkzigt Hospital was renovated. In 2002, the Executive Board decided to undertake a complete refurbishment with particular focus on the educational facilities. Claus en Kaan Architecten won the architectural competition which was held in 2003 to prepare a master plan. They were also awarded the architectural contract and put in charge of the interior design and project management.

When Claus en Kaan Architecten started planning the project in 2003, the area where the Education Centre now stands was a large, triangular square. This was the heart of the Medical Faculty at the time: an outdoor space on top of a car park, with a pond, benches and flower arrangements. The square was the access point to the different medical specialities, each of which formed its own little bastion, with its own classrooms, student rooms and library.

Claus en Kaan’s solution, maintained the central hall surrounded by the original building: three levels of classrooms, study areas and lecture theatres. These buildings were stripped down to their concrete skeleton, after which they were re-organised and re-built. On the second level is an elevated open gallery which runs round the entire hall: a magnificent walkway past many classrooms with large glass partitions that bring daylight through to the ground floor. Certain elements of the old building are clearly recognisable. For instance two sturdy white spiral staircases that once stood on the square, covered in a frosted glass jacket are now at the edge of the hall, exposed rather than enveloped.

Study islands are installed in three rows in the central hall; each is the size of a small room and has a unique layout.  The floor level and wall height vary, to create various degrees of privacy. The island with the lowest floor and highest wall provides the most peaceful workplace. A raised floor and low walls allow contact with the people around. Two islands without walls were given a unique function: one is purely a podium, while the other is the counter of the library. The partition walls of all the study islands are clad in walnut veneer.

One of the main features of the Education Centre is the monumental bookcase in the Medical Library which stands at the far end of the hall flanked by two pristine white spiral staircases. Spanning 35 m long by 11 m high: it can store 2 km of books!  It stands along the wall where the hall is at its widest and includes openings at regular intervals to let the daylight through. This bookcase, the study islands, wooden furniture and wooden walls work together to make the hall a pleasant environment for students to study privately or linger with friends. The result achieved by Claus en Kaan Architecten in both the master plan and the finer interior details reflects their great understanding of the human interaction with the space.
Hilde de Haan

Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Program: medical university centre
Architects: Claus en Kaan Architecten
Client: Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam
Gross floor area: 34.000 sqm
Completion: August 2013