Country houses will surround it, but so in the middle there will be something completely different: a real 'sculptural dwelling' of Atelier van Lieshout. With a price tag of a million euros, the house is no cheap piece of art either, but then you have something the whole world comes to see. Less original than his recently installed Endeldarmbar in Rotterdam, and probably less efficient than his Slave City, which recycles people and their waste products on a cradle-to-cradle basis, Villa Sculptura is something that will get noticed. And something where you're not going to put the usual Jan des Bouvrie vases in the window. Although Van Lieshout himself reported that he was actually quite keen on that. Or something with daisies, as the Utrecht alderman for culture remarked at the press presentation.
Utrecht has quite a name to uphold when it comes to architecture. After all, it is the place where Gerrit Rietveld left countless facades and a few houses, it is the city with the Uithof as an architectural area of extremes and it is the city of Neudeflat and Hoog Catharijne as low points of post-war megalomania. That private commissioning is also praised here is shown by the earlier architectural landmark realised on the east side of the city: the organic 'monkey rock' built by architects Alberts& Van Huut for the developer of the mixed-use Rijnsweerd villa district. That property is still there, and is open for visits every open monument day.
On Tuesday 4 January, Van Lieshout presented his design. First to the press, and later to the intended local residents. The press was mainly interested in building processes, requirements for the garden, what it will cost the municipality (25,000 euros investment, 1,000,000 euros revenue) and how long the construction will take (until spring 2012). We are actually curious what name you, the people's mouth, will give it. Suggestions in the comment boxes below.
For more information: www.villasculptura.nl
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The "poop of Joep" seems like a good nickname to kick off with. Quite strange, by the way, that only a select group of local residents was invited. As a resident of the same street, I would have liked to attend a presentation too!
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