Wiel Arets facts for kids

Wiel Arets (born May 6, 1955) is a well-known Dutch architect, urbanist (someone who plans cities), and industrial designer (someone who designs products). He used to be the head, or dean, of the architecture college at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, USA.

Before that, he was a professor at the Berlin University of the Arts in Germany. Wiel Arets studied at the Technical University of Eindhoven and finished his studies in 1983. In the same year, he started his own company, Wiel Arets Architects. This company is a studio that works on many different types of architecture and design projects. Today, it has offices in Amsterdam, Maastricht, Munich, and Zürich. From 1995 to 2002, he was the dean of the Berlage Institute in Rotterdam. There, he started a new way of learning called 'progressive-research' and helped create the school's architecture magazine, HUNCH.

About Wiel Arets' Life

Wiel Arets was born on May 6, 1955, in Heerlen, Netherlands. His father was a book printer, and his mother was a fashion designer. From them, he learned to respect traditional skills and to love books. He first studied engineering and then physics, but he finally chose to study architecture.

He spends his time living and working in different cities like Chicago, Maastricht, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Zürich. He is married and has two children. Arets' designs often look simple, with clear shapes and lines. He wants his buildings to fit into their surroundings but also be flexible for future changes. He once said, "We want our buildings to fit into the existing context, yet remain flexible and open to change."

Early Studies and Influences

While studying at the Technical University of Eindhoven, Arets became very interested in the ideas of thinkers like Paul Valéry and Giorgio Grassi. He liked the idea of 'dialogue' as a way to work. During his studies, Arets helped start an architecture magazine called Wiederhall. He also helped bring famous architects like Zaha Hadid, Tadao Ando, and Peter Eisenmann to speak at his university. Later, Arets organized the first exhibition in Europe of Tadao Ando's work.

Around this time, Arets also rediscovered the work of a Dutch architect named Frits Peutz. Peutz had helped change the city of Heerlen from a coal mining area into a modern city. One of his most famous buildings is the Glaspaleis.

Research and First Projects

As a student, Arets spent a lot of time looking through Peutz's old designs. He wrote a book about Peutz's work called 'F.P.J Peutz Architekt 1916-1966' (1981) and created a traveling exhibition. After graduating in 1983, Arets traveled a lot, visiting Russia, the United States, and Japan. In Japan, he met and interviewed several important architects, including Fumihiko Maki and Tadao Ando. He later published these interviews in a Dutch architecture magazine.

Wiel Arets first became known around the world for his design of the Maastricht Academy of Art and Architecture in 1993. A famous critic, Kenneth Frampton, said that Arets made the old building and the city area around it new again.

Utrecht University Library

In 2004, Arets finished designing the library for Utrecht University. This library is located in an area of the campus that was planned to have very straight, simple buildings. The outside of the library has glass panels with a picture of bamboo shoots printed on them. This picture was taken by photographer Kim Zwarts. Inside, the same bamboo pattern is pressed into the black concrete walls. This idea of adding texture to buildings has appeared in more of Arets' projects since then. Kazuyo Sejima, a famous architect, said about the library: "The building is fascinating in many ways, but most of all I feel some warm humanism from it."

In 2011, Arets' company won a competition to design the IJhal at Amsterdam Centraal Station. This project is part of a plan to connect the city's waterfront to the IJ river again. He also recently finished building the Allianz Headquarters in Zürich, Switzerland.

Wiel Arets Architects

Wiel Arets Architects is a company founded by Wiel Arets in 1983. It focuses on designing buildings, products, and city spaces. They have offices in several European cities.

Important Projects

Here are some of the notable buildings and projects designed by Wiel Arets Architects:

• Fashion Shop Beltgens, (Maastricht, 1986-1987)
• Maastricht Academy of Art and Architecture, (Maastricht, 1989–1993)
• AZL Pension Fund Headquarters, (Heerlen, 1990–1995)
• KNSM Island Apartment Tower, (Amsterdam, 1990–1996)
• Police Station, (Vaals, 1993–1995)
• Tower Hoge Heren, (Rotterdam, 1993–2001)
• University Library, (Utrecht, 1997–2004)
• Glaspaleis, (Heerlen, 1999–2003)
• Euroborg Stadium, (Groningen, 2004–2006)
• Allianz Headquarters, (Richti Wallisellen, Zürich, 2008-2014)
• The IJhal (Amsterdam Centraal Station, Amsterdam, 2010-2016)

Teaching and Ideas

Wiel Arets has also spent a lot of time teaching architecture. He was the dean of the Berlage Institute from 1995 to 2002. There, he changed the school to focus on 'progressive-research'. This meant students and teachers would work together on research, public talks, books, field trips, and deep discussions.

Before and after this, he was a professor or guest professor at many architecture schools, mainly in Europe and the United States. He was a professor at the Berlin University of the Arts until 2012. He believes that a "laboratory" approach helps students and teachers explore a theme together and share their findings in publications like HUNCH.

Academic Roles

Wiel Arets has held many teaching positions at universities around the world:

• 1986–1989: Architectural Academies of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 1988–1992: Architectural Association, London, United Kingdom
• 1991–1994: Visiting Professor at Cooper Union, New York City, United States
• 1991–1994: Visiting Professor at Columbia University, United States
• 1995–2002: Dean of the Berlage Institute, Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 2005–2012: Professor at the Berlin University of the Arts, Berlin, Germany
• 2012-2017: Dean of the College of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, United States

Awards and Recognition

Wiel Arets has received many awards for his architectural work and his books:

• Victor de Stuers Award (1987, 1994)
• Charlotte Köhler Award (1988)
• Rotterdam Maaskant Award (1989)
• Best Dutch Book Design Award for Wiel Arets Architect (1989) and Living Library: Wiel Arets (2005)
• Mies van der Rohe Award for European Architecture: Special Mention Emerging Architect (1994)
• BNA Kubus (2005)
• iF Product Design Award (2009)
• Good Design Award (2009)
• Amsterdam Architecture Prize (2010)
• The Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award (2014) for Allianz Headquarters

Images for kids

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  Utrecht University Library

See also

In Spanish: Wiel Arets para niños