artist: Hans Aarsman & Erik Kessels, Droog Design ism Next Architects, Joep van Lieshout, Marko Lulic, NL Architects, Sean Snyder, Monika Sosnowska, Barbara Visser
located in: Leidsche Rijn,

Eight well-known artists & designers design their personal ideal house

Beyond asked eight well-known artists (including Droog Design, Joep van Lieshout and Hans Aarsman & Erik Kessels) to design their ultimate VIP residence on a free plot of land in ’t Zand. In addition to its spectacular architecture, a VIP villa is primarily a house with a distinctive meaning; a house that influences the collective atmosphere of the neighborhood and that makes a powerful statement about living and living together. In other words, a contemporary Rietveld-Schröder house.

Various artists
House for sale

Opening House for Sale (foto: Wendela Hubrecht)

Living in a head

Models, films and sculpture provide an individualistic image of living. What does the ideal home look like? According to Atelier van Lieshout (studio) it’s a large flat box made up of parking garage components and featuring two large residential sculptures in the shape of a head and a womb on its roof. In contrast NL Architects doesn’t use the roof as a terrace for residential sculptures but, rather, as a garage. Cars can be parked on the roof of their 'Road house'. Hans Aarsman and Erik Kessels designed a 'safe-House' that will be titled 'good neighbor'. This house that will offer sanctuary to the freedom of speech can only be inhabited by those who dare to speak out.

Het Kasteel

Out of the nine designs three – by Hans Aarsman & Erik Kessels, Monika Sosnowska and Barbara Visser – were nominated by a jury to be further developed. Visitors to the exhibition and the website have chosen for their favorite design, out of the three ‘tentative designs’ presented in the exhibition. On Friday 20 October the winner was announced. With 44% of all votes Het Kasteel of Hans Aarsman en Erik Kessels won the competition.

In the next few years Beyond aims to assemble the necessary parties in order to create the chosen VIP villa design. In short: Het Kasteel in Leidsche Rijn will be ‘for sale’!

On 16 September 2006 (until 5 November) Adri Duivesteijn opened the exhibition, House for Sale, a presentation of nine sketch designs for a VIP villa in Leidsche Rijn.

Participating artists
Hans Aarsman & Erik Kessels
Droog Design in collaboration with Next Architects
Joep van Lieshout
Marko Lulic
NL Architects
Sean Snyder
Monika Sosnowska
Barbara Visser

The designs were exhibited until 5 November in Het Gebouw (by Stanley Brouwn and Bertus Mulder).
Opening times: Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Entrance: free
Location: Hogeweide 3b, 3541 BC Leidsche Rijn, Utrecht.
Information: www.beyondutrecht.nl