Nov 24th 2015

Dean's Lecture Series Video: Mels Crouwel

Mels Crouwel delivered a lecture on Wed., Oct.. 7 in S. R. Crown Hall as part of the Fall 2015 Dean's Lecture Series. Watch the video now.

Mels Crouwel (1953, Amsterdam) graduated as engineer from the Faculty of Architecture at Delft University of Technology in 1978. In 1979, he founded the office Benthem Crouwel Architects in Amsterdam together with Jan Benthem. Mels Crouwel is a member of the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects (bna) and a honorary member of the Association of German Architects (bda).

By paying great attention to functionality, sustainability and solutions to design problems and with a personal passion for art and culture, Mels Crouwel has worked on many international renowned museums, public buildings and cultural platforms. His design among others is seen in the restoration of the Anne Frank House (Amsterdam), the Bergbau Mining Museum (Bochum), FOAM photo museum (Amsterdam), De Pont museum for contemporary art (Tilburg), the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and music venues of allure such as 013 (Tilburg). Within the first ten years of starting Benthem Crouwel Architects, Mels Crouwel became the supervising architect for the biggest trade and convention centre of The Netherlands, Amsterdam RAI. For the last twenty years, he has put forward numerous plans, both renovation proposals and urban schemes for the complex that welcomes close to 2 million visitors a year.

Mels Crouwel has been a member of multiple committees and boards, such as the Amsterdamse Kunstraad (1985-1987), Raad voor de Kunst (1987-1991), Nederlands Architectuur Instituut (1996-2004) and the Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst (1998- 2005). From 2004 until 2008 Mels Crouwel held the position of Chief Government Architect to the Dutch government. In 2012 he joined the Supervisory Board of Koninklijke Tichelaar Makkum.

Mels Crouwel has given public lectures in the Netherlands and abroad, including Beijing, Berlin, Bochum, Bayreuth, Cape Town, Chicago, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Hamburg, Jerusalem, Leuven, London, Munich, New Delhi, New York, Seattle, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Toronto and Vienna.