Atelier Kempe Thill is an international architectural firm based in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...
, the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, founded in 2000 by German architects
André Kempe and
Oliver Thill. Both Kempe and Thill were born in
East Germany
East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
and graduated in architecture from the
Technical University of Dresden
TU Dresden (for , abbreviated as TUD), also as the Dresden University of Technology, is a public research university in Dresden, Germany. It is the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, the largest university in Saxony a ...
(
TU Dresden
TU Dresden (for , abbreviated as TUD), also as the Dresden University of Technology, is a public research university in Dresden, Germany. It is the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, the largest university in Saxony a ...
). The practice is known for its minimalist design approach, careful material detailing, and explorations of affordable high-quality architecture within constrained budgets.
Early Work and Recognition
Atelier Kempe Thill gained international attention with projects such as:
* The Dutch Pavilion for the International Garden Exhibition IGA 2003 in
Rostock
Rostock (; Polabian language, Polabian: ''Roztoc''), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (), is the largest city in the German States of Germany, state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the sta ...
, Germany, known as the ''Hedge Building'', which combined architecture and landscape in a minimal form.
* Youth Hostel in Prora (Germany, 2004), reusing part of the monumental Nazi-era Prora complex for new civic functions.
* Liszt Concert Hall in Raiding (
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, 2005), designed as a "modest yet high-performing" venue emphasizing acoustic excellence.
Major Projects
Atelier Kempe Thill's portfolio spans a wide range of typologies, including residential, cultural, and public space projects. Selected works include:
* 23 Townhouses in Amsterdam-Osdorp, offering highly affordable yet well-detailed housing units.
* HipHouse in Zwolle, a pioneering mixed-use building combining living and working spaces.
* City House in Antwerp, a compact urban home blending bungalow-like spatial qualities with a city context.
* Junky Hotel in Amsterdam, a transformation project converting a building for vulnerable social groups into a flexible, supportive environment.
* Îlot Beaumont in
Euralille
Euralille is an urban quarter in the centre of Lille, France. Conceived as a major European business district in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it is strategically located at the intersection of the high-speed railway lines linking Paris, Brussel ...
, France, developed in collaboration with Atelier 56S, emphasizing urban uniformity and metropolitan density.
* De Hood social housing project in the Netherlands, blending transparency and affordability.
Awards and Recognition
* Maaskant Prize for Young Architects (2005): awarded to Oliver Thill.
* Special Mention, European Prize for Urban Public Space (2010): for the Open Air Theatre at Grotekerkplein in Rotterdam.
References
External links
Atelier Kempe Thill website
Architecture firms of the Netherlands
{{Netherlands-architect-stub