In 2005 Christian graduated from the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam. He set himself the task of designing a ‘rest building’ on the Weteringcircuit, in Amsterdam. The building, ‘Momentum’, is a means to find rest and contemplation. Its function is that of a temple, cathedral, monastery or park, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city.

The contrast between the world inside and outside the building is the active factor of Momentum. The architecture itself consists of elements borrowed from city parks, botanical and enclosed gardens, cathedrals, temples and monasteries, all of which attempt to evoke a sacredness that can create a sense of security, tranquility and contemplation.

The very omission of program creates more space for people to experience tranquility themselves. The choice of materials (concrete, natural stone and glass) and design (spaces connected by routes) provides a framework within which the visitor can experience a moment of peace!

“Someday, and probably soon, there will be a need for what our large cities in particular lack: quiet and spacious, expansive places for reflection, places with high, long colonnades for bad or overly sunny weather […]: structures and parks, which as a whole express the loftiness of contemplation and aloofness. […]. We want to see ourselves translated into stone and plant, we want to walk in ourselves, when we walk in these gardens and halls.”

Friedrich Nietzsche, 1882

Mentor: Tijmen Ploeg

Supervisors: Gilian Schrofer & Machiel Spaan

Exam: Pim Köther & Herman Kerkdijk