arcam

The exhibition design is a testcase within Arcam’s yearly program ‘Architecture for Everyone’. In this program, Arcam focuses on promoting universal design. What started as a quest for greater awareness in designing for people with physical and/or neurological limitations, has grown over the past few months into a much broader perspective on accessibility as a design challenge.

One of the conclusions drawn by our Architects in Residence Séverine Kas and Ed. Bijman, the Maker team, and other experts was that the Arcam building is not yet universally accessible.

Improvements to the building are possible for wheelchair accessibility (due to cramped spaces), people with visual impairments (due to excessive light), and people with hearing impairments (due to poor acoustics). Our experts also identified ample room for improvement in our use of language (too much jargon).

However, we received much praise for our efforts to make the architecture debate accessible to a broader audience and for attempting to shed light on our blind spots by including various perspectives and experiences in our programs. We want to make this strength, which is strongly present in our programming, more visible in the Arcam building itself.

Therefore, Arcam has created this Universeler Program of Requirements. The goal is to create an accessible exhibition design that contributes to making architecture and design challenges in the city more accessible to as diverse and broad an audience as possible.

• May 5, 2023: Open call for proposals is published. Arcam is seeking a designer for a new permanent installation in the Arcam gallery.
• May 25, 10:00-12:00 hrs: Information session. Do you have questions about certain aspects? We will walk you through the process and plans via this link and you can ask questions. Written questions can also be submitted.
• May 25, 12:00 hrs: Deadline for submitting written questions to sjaan@arcam.nl.
• May 30, 17:00 hrs: Publication of the answers on www.arcam.nl.
• June 19, 8:00 hrs: Deadline for submitting visions to sjaan@arcam.nl.
• June 23, 14:00-17:00 hrs: Selection of three best proposals by the selection committee.
• June 27, 16:00 hrs: Announcement of the three nominated designs.
• July 14, 13:00-17:00 hrs: The three selected designers present their proposals to the Maker Team and current Architects in Residence, after which the choice is made. The winner is also asked to be the new Architect in Residence from July to December 2023.
• July 19, 16:00 hrs: Announcement of the winner and start of the development process towards a final design.
• September 1, 10:00 hrs: Final budget, planning, and work plan.
• September 15, 17:00 hrs: Presentation of final exhibition design and opening of Subjective Atlas.
• September 18: Start of construction of the permanent installation.
• November 1, 2023 (or as early as possible): Opening of permanent installation and Slow How exhibition.