Soda provides advice on a wide variety of topics. Questions and subject matters are often complex. Therefore, Soda starts every advice with clearly defining the question or problem posed. Soda's expertise covers the following areas, among others:
New Escher Museum > advise defining conceptualisation and qualitative goals, 2023/2024
There is a desire in The Hague to create a new Escher Museum. The existing museum, 'Escher in Het Paleis', has reached the limits of its growth at its current location, with about 190,000 visitors a year, 58% of whom are foreign. The idea is to locate a new museum in the former American Embassy, an iconic design by Marcel Breuer. Soda has been asked by the Escher Collection Foundation and the Art Museum to advise on the conceptualisation and on defining the qualitative goals.
The famous work of M.C. Escher offers the opportunity to create a museum on the site that appeals to both a broad and international audience. Moreover, the intriguing national monument will be endowed with a new life and a currently less dynamic part of the city centre will be revitalised. In short, a new Escher Museum offers many opportunities to strengthen the city culturally, socially, economically and from an urban architectural point of view.
City Hall Utrecht > advise regarding traceability, accessibility, flexibility, commuincation and visitor experience, 2023/2024
Soda has recently been asked to advise on the use of the publicly accessible part of Utrecht City Hall, located at the Oude Gracht. The city hall is now mainly known as the location where the council and the college meet. However, many people do not have a really clear idea of what this entails, and that is exactly what the city government wants to change. People should be able to experience in the city hall, in the political heart of Utrecht, how the council and the board actually operate and how the democratic process works. The city hall should become far more lively; a 'House of the City' where one can participate not only in political activities, but also in educational or cultural events. These wishes also pose demands on the publicly accessible part of the already many times renovated national monument and its use. Soda investigates what is required in terms of traceability, accessibility, flexibility, communication and visitor experience.
(Photo: Thomas Howels)
Miffy Museum > feasibility study on enlarging the museum by means of a new building, 2018 > 2023
After a first feasibility study in 2014 by Soda, a second followed in 2018. The immediate cause this time was the overwhelming success of the Miffy Museum. As a result, there was once again the question as to how the museum could be enlarged. The Dick Bruna House originally attracted around 40,000 visitors per year; the plans for the Miffy Museum had aimed at doubling this to 80,000. However, it turned out to be 185,000. This pushed the building to its literal limits. Opportunities had to be explored: both in the optimization of the existing museum, and in new building.
Follow-up - The outcome is that at the rear of this listed monument, an extension of almost 900 m2 is realised, including a traffic area to accommodate the large audience numbers. Also, the museum now boasts a Miffy museum café, a 360-degree projection room and new themed areas. Existing rooms have been renovated, and facilities such as toilets and cloakrooms have been expanded. See also 'Museums'.
Zaans Museum > feasibility study design, sustainability and redevelopment, 2019 > 2023
The reason for the feasibility study carried out by Soda was the Zaans Museum's aspiration to render the building more suitable for the increased number of visitors. In addition, the museum wished to focus on continued growth and upgrade the outdated technology. The ambition was also to develop a large exhibition space for large-scale alternating exhibitions. This would also allow the museum to host a major exhibition of Monet, who once lived in Zaandam.
Follow-up - Soda conducted in 2023 a design study for the Zaans Museum. The rationale here was twofold: a repositioning of the museum in relation to the adjacent Zaanse Schans; and looking into the sustainability and renovation of the building. At the same time, visitor facilities were redefined. See also 'Museums'.
(Design: Soda / Rendering: Berend-Jan Engbers)
Museum Schiedam > research regarding sustainability, improving museum functionality and safety - in collaboration with Bordewijk/De Adviseurs, 2018 > 2022
The motive for the Museum Schiedam to commission a broad investigation was the fact that over the years a 'building problem' had arisen concerning various aspects such as fire safety, security, building physica, climate control and installation. Together with Bordewijk/De Adviseurs, Soda conducted a thorough analysis.
Follow-up - The analysis resulted in Soda being commissioned to design and supervise the improvement process and renovation. The assignment was further expanded with related issues such as sustainability, improving logistics and routing, visitor orientation/experience, exhibition spaces and (LED) lighting. The renovation has highly improved the quality of the museum in all respects. The museum reopened in May 2022. See also 'Museums'.
Textile Museum > advice / vision document, 2022
The Textile Museum (Tilburg) has ambitious plans to renovate. The motivation for this is that the museum building no longer meets the needs of the museum visitors and the creators of today and tomorrow. Mecanoo and engineering firm ABT are asked for a design study regarding the redevelopment of the Textile Museum and its surroundings.
Soda was invited to give preliminary advice on how the core triangle 'Textile Museum-Textile Lab-education' can best be realized in a new context. To this end Soda developed a vision document together with the Textile Museum which zooms in on functional, logistical and content-related opportunities. The vision document was part of the programme of requirements for the design study by Mecanoo architects and ABT engineering firm. See also 'Museums'.
(Photo: Chiharu Shiota, Me somewhere else, 2018)
Monopole Schiedam > advice incorporation offices and museum project spaces in a monument, 2021 > 2022
The immediate reason for this advice was that the cinema (a municipal monument) located directly opposite the Museum Schiedam became vacant. This offered opportunities for the museum: as a result of the renovation of the museum, important spaces such as office and project spaces, an auditorium and rental spaces were absent. Soda advised on how to locate these spaces and functions in the former cinema.
Follow-up - Soda remained involved as a consultant in 2022.
Centraal Museum Utrecht > advisor regarding the sustainability and improvement of the museum functionality of the '1920 Wing', 2021
The so-called '1920 Wing' of the Centraal Museum Utrecht (CMU) was the only part of the CMU that had not yet been renovated. In an earlier stage, Soda developed plans regarding climat control of the non-climatized parts. This is now being combined with the municipality's ambition to improve sustainability.
Follow-up - Soda is involved as an advisor based on its knowledge of the building and is involved in the process as an advisor to the museum.
Depot council and province Utrecht > feasibility study and analysis of joint use by various partners, 2019
The starting point for this advice to the council of Utrecht was the fact that the depot of Centraal Museum Utrecht (CMU) was no longer properly functioning and had outgrown its capacity. With regard to both the investments that would be needed to realize a new depot and efficiency, the aim was to have multiple partners use the new depot: the CMU, the Universiteitsmuseum, Museum Speelklok, Utrecht City Heritage and Utrecht Province Heritage.
Follow-up - The advice Soda developed in collaboration with Driepas and Bordewijk/De Adviseurs included on the one hand the drafting of an organizational model, and on the other hand the requirements that such a model imposes on a new building with regard to issues such as logistics, climatic preconditions, sustainability, security, transport, handling and good work spaces. The advice resulted in a Programme of Requirements that was taken as the basis for the tendering and design process.
Afrika Museum > feasibility study and directional design trajectory to improve climate control and hospitality functionality.
Research into the redesign of the grounds and museum layout in collaboration with landscape architect Peter van Baaren, 2019
The impetus was the pitch that the Afrika Museum issued for a study seeking solutions for a full service horeca and the improvement of the entrance area including the museum shop. Other components of the study included the possibilities for renovating and climat control the exhibition rooms, and opportunities to improve the connection of the museum building with the immediately adjoining outdoor museum.
Follow-up - In its advice, Soda emphasized the museum's special geographic location: in collaboration with landscape architect Peter van Baaren, Soda recommended that the qualities of the surrounding moraine landscape should be put to maximum use.
Centraal Museum Utrecht > analysis, 2012 > 2016
The motive for the study of Centraal Museum Utrecht (CMU) was the urgency to find a solution for the unclear museum routing and wandering visitors. There was also considerable friction between running a modern museum business on the one hand, and the building complex in which the museum is located on the other. Possibilities for renting out and opening in the evening were very limited. The complex was closed and inward-looking, and hardly any use was being made of the communal garden area of the museum and the Nicolai church. The most common complaint though was that visitors got lost and after visiting the complex, they had no idea if they had seen everything.
It was decided to embark on a broad approach, starting with an analysis of the building, the surroundings and the organisation. This led to a bid book that served as a basis for the design and realisation of the CMU's redesign.
Important conclusions included:
Follow-up - Soda+ developed the design and realised the redesign together with the museum, which was completed in 2016. SODA+ was a collaboration of Jorrit Noyons and Ronald Buïel of Soda with architects Gabri Klarenbeek and Hagen Zeisberg. See also 'Museums'.
Miffy Museum > feasibility study transformation Dick Bruna House to Miffy Museum, 2014
Soda was approached in 2014 to conduct a feasibility study with regard to the former 'Dick Bruna House' which is part of the Centraal Museum Utrecht (CMU). It was a matter of a spatial task: the Dick Bruna House had become too small and showed both information about Dick Bruna and his world-famous creation, Miffy. The underlying questions were: How can the Dick Bruna House be expanded? What are the opportunities within the national monument, or should one expand at the rear? Soda developed several scenarios in response to these questions.
Follow-up - Based on the research and the resulting advice, the decision was made to expand within the existing monument. In addition, a content-wise split was made: information on Dick Bruna himself would be moved to the CMU, allowing the Dick Bruna house to focus on Miffy. Thus the Dick Bruna house became the 'Miffy Museum'. Soda was subsequently commissioned to carry out the design and execution. See also 'Museums'.