Located on the grounds of Doornburg Manor, the priory was designed by Jan de Jong in the 1960s as a Canoness convent. In transforming this introvert and iconic complex into a centre for culture, Müller Van Tol removed the cluttered additions of recent decades and created a catalogue of materials, textures and colours in keeping with the original ideas of Jan de Jong.
Key features of Bosch School architecture are sober spatial effects and balanced proportions. New interventions do not compete with the architecture but complement it with a character of their own.
In the Entrance Hall, three standing tables made of solid Oregon Pine read as autonomous objects that leave the space intact. They mark the starting point of the visitor journey and provide display surfaces for information. A hatch cut into a wall conceals a satellite kitchen from where visitors are served.
Similar restraint is displayed in the refectory and chapter room, where textile-covered ceiling panels and lighting rails have been added to improve acoustics and illumination. Additions have minimal impact on the original ceiling while softening the space with a warm intimacy.
Benches of solid Oregon Pine with cushioned backrests line the ambulatory that runs around the courtyard, their rhythm contrasting with that of the columns. The muted palette of the building contrasts with the explosion of colour and light that draws visitors into the courtyard garden, which features edible flowers and leaves, tall ornamental grasses, perennials, and annual and biannual plants.
Müller Van Tol ensured the new podium meets today’s standards but respects the unique architectural heritage. The design turns a place of silence into a venue for presentations, performances and encounters.