Ben van Berkel

Ben van Berkel – Life, Architecture & Insight


Discover the life, philosophy, key works, and memorable quotes of Ben van Berkel, the Dutch architect and founder of UNStudio whose work bridges innovation, public space, and spatial experience.

Introduction

Ben van Berkel (born 1957) is a leading Dutch architect whose vision extends far beyond individual buildings. As co-founder of UNStudio (originally Van Berkel & Bos), he has shaped transformative infrastructure, cultural, and mixed-use projects around the world. His work navigates the intersection of structure, flow, urban systems, and human experience. Van Berkel is recognized not only as a designer but as a theorist, educator, and proponent of networked, responsive architecture.

Early Life & Education

Ben van Berkel was born on January 25, 1957, in Utrecht, Netherlands. He studied architecture first at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, and then at the Architectural Association (AA) in London, graduating with honors (AA Diploma) in 1987.

Early in his career, van Berkel also worked with (or in the milieu of) offices of Zaha Hadid and Santiago Calatrava, which influenced his thinking about form, structure, and geometry.

In 1988, he and Caroline Bos (his partner in practice and thought) founded the firm Van Berkel & Bos Architectuurbureau in Amsterdam. UNStudio (UN = United Network) to emphasize a more networked, collaborative, and multi-disciplinary model of architectural practice.

Architectural Philosophy & Approach

Ben van Berkel’s architecture is defined by a few guiding ideas:

  • Networks, flow & systems: He conceives projects not as isolated objects but as parts of larger networks—movement, circulation, transport, social systems.

  • Flexibility & responsiveness: Rather than rigid typologies, he favors designs that adapt, respond, and interrelate with their context and users.

  • Integration of virtual & material logic: In van Berkel’s work, digital design (parametric, algorithmic) and engineering merge with physical reality; the boundary between form-giving and performance is blurred.

  • Public dimension & human experience: He often emphasizes that architecture must serve public life, create meaningful spatial experiences, and engage users, not merely be iconic or sculptural.

  • Liberation from style: In recent interviews, he has expressed the need to move beyond stylistic constraints and focus on meaning, performance, and lasting value.

He sometimes frames architecture as existing “between art and airports,” combining pragmatism and expressive aspiration.

He also speaks of the architect’s evolving role—as orchestrator, networker, integrator—rather than sole creator.

Major Projects & Career Highlights

Van Berkel (via his practice) has contributed to many landmark works. Some of the most notable:

ProjectLocation & Year(s)Key Features / Significance
Erasmus BridgeRotterdam, Netherlands (1991–1996)A dramatic cable-stayed bridge, symbol of Rotterdam’s modern identity. Moebius HouseNaarden / NetherlandsA private residence where sequence, circulation, and fluid geometry merge. Mercedes-Benz MuseumStuttgart, GermanyHighly expressive form, complex internal circulation, blending display and movement. Arnhem Central StationArnhem, NetherlandsA large transportation hub integrating transit, public space, and structural innovation. Raffles CityHangzhou, ChinaA mixed-use development combining verticality, public space, and form. Galleria Center CityCheonan, South KoreaDepartment store / urban redevelopment project.

In addition to these, he has worked on theaters (e.g. Theater de Stoep, Lyric Theatre in Hong Kong), urban masterplans, bridges, pavilions, and campus projects.

His practice has also expanded globally, with offices and teams in Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and the U.S.

Teaching, Influence & Recognition

Van Berkel has held numerous academic roles:

  • He served as Kenzo Tange Chair at Harvard GSD.

  • He was dean / professor at Städelschule in Frankfurt (Advanced Architectural Design).

  • Visiting / guest lecturer at Columbia, Princeton, AA London, and other institutions.

Awards and honors include:

  • Honorary Fellowship AIA (American Institute of Architects) in 2013

  • RIBA International Fellowship

  • 1822-Kunstpreis (Frankfurt) 2003

  • Kubus Award 2016

  • Other recognitions: Charles Jencks Award, Dutch Designer of the Year, etc.

Through his teaching, writings, and practice, van Berkel has influenced a generation of architects interested in networks, parametric thinking, and infrastructure as architecture.

Prominent Quotes & Ideas

Here are some of van Berkel’s memorable sayings that shed light on his thinking:

  • “Architecture falls between art and airports. It’s pragmatic — it helps you get from point A to point B. But it also works as art. It makes you think twice. It inspires you. It brings you back to yourself.”

  • “My mother took me to Venice one time … It gave me a fascination for music and the city, but also for architecture. It was a valuable lesson.”

  • “I never show the back of my tongue. That is a Dutch expression.” (a playful expression)

  • “In the early work of Frank Lloyd Wright … they make new ground by raising the ground. … The roof becomes almost a new ground.”

  • “You could never hide yourself in these places — in Mies’s Farnsworth house, for example. That was a mistake of Modernism. People need places to hide from each other, too.”

These quotes reflect van Berkel’s interest in spatial experience, human scale, memory, and the interplay of openness and intimacy.

Lessons & Takeaways

From Ben van Berkel’s life and work, several lessons emerge for architects, designers, and urban thinkers:

  1. Design in networks, not silos
    Buildings live within systems: transportation, circulation, urban fabric. Architecture that addresses these linkages can have deeper impact.

  2. Embrace hybridity and flexibility
    Projects that can adapt to changing uses, flows, and social demands last longer and serve more richly.

  3. Merge virtual & tangible
    In contemporary architecture, digital modeling, performance simulation, and structure should inform form from the start—not be appended.

  4. Architecture as experience
    Buildings should engage perception, movement, and memory, not simply be visual icons.

  5. Collaborative authorship is strength
    Van Berkel’s United Network model shows that complexity benefits from diverse expertise rather than a singular ego.

  6. Meaning over style
    His recent call to “free ourselves from style to embrace more important issues” encourages architecture to reflect purpose, context, and life, beyond transient aesthetics.

  7. Scale matters — from pavilion to metro
    His portfolio ranges from small prototypes to large infrastructure, showing that insight in small works can inform large ones and vice versa.

Conclusion

Ben van Berkel is not just an architect of buildings but an architect of systems, experiences, and relationships. His practice, UNStudio, embodies a philosophy that sees architecture as dynamic, interconnected, and responsive. Through teaching, writing, and built work, he continues to shape how architects think about flow, network, and public life in the 21st century.

Articles by the author

My mother took me to Venice one time and showed me all the houses where famous composers used to live. It gave me a fascination for music and the city, but also for architecture. It was a valuable lesson.

Ben van Berkel