Commission for architect Jo Coenen
In september 2016 Law firm Stibbe opened their new office building in Amsterdam, designed by internationally renowned architect Jo Coenen. A year earlier, in the midst of the building process, I was asked by Jo Coenen to make an artwork that visualised the concept of the building, as a present for the director of Stibbe and a promotional gift in edition for the 50 partners in the firm.
50 handmade ivory 300 grams paper, hand cut, rilled, peforated and folded, containing two prints of the work: Left a drawing by Jo Coenen showing the geometric basis for the building and a oval detail of the work. Right the total image, numbered and signed.
Through the branches of the trees a stealth crosses the clear sky. This stealth shape is also the architectural ground plan of the building. The sky is filled with 50 stars representing the 50 partners of the firm whereas the polar star stands for the president of the company.
The axes of the building connect all four cardinal points of Amsterdam. The branches of the smaller tree echo another construction layer of the building.
The challenge was to visualise both exterior and interior while the building was still in its construction phase.
Presenting the work to the direction of Stibbe, in the company of Jo Coenen (right).
