‘Designing public spaces is fascinating because it enables you to create conditions for surprising experiences and unexpected encounters. They brighten your day and can affect your life. They inspire and energize.’
(Wim Poppinga)
Buro Poppinga in Amsterdam was founded 15 years ago by Wim Poppinga. This designer (b. 1967), originally from Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands, works at the interface of product design, architecture, landscape architecture and the visual arts. Wim studied ‘Man and Public Space’ at the Design Academy Eindhoven. He subsequently completed his architectural studies at The Berlage, Center for Advanced Studies in Architecture and Urban Design, now based in Rotterdam.
Wim’s greatest pleasure in designing is to give new meaning to the original purpose of a certain space or product. He takes specific elements out of their context and places them in a different perspective within a new framework. Sometimes the designs are exuberant, sometimes subdued, but they always surprise and ignite curiosity. Suddenly you see the space or product from a new vantage point. Like the big, nostalgic advertising letters that now serve as a display sign and entrance to a park. Or the metres-high weather vane at a roundabout that soars into the dark sky like a humming lightsaber from Star Wars. Or the two round binocular lenses that have become a sheltered spot from which to look out over the sweeping landscape.
When you see something that surprises you, or – rather – something that you recognize, you may want to rest your eyes on it for a while. Reflect on it for a moment or share it with someone else. New images and insights give you a fresh impetus and create an opportunity to start a conversation. They provide space for new experiences and unexpected encounters. Poppinga’s key driver is to entice people to do just that.
Partners
Poppinga collaborates with specialists who are passionate about their work and share his feeling for quality and nuance. These professionals include landscape architects, engineering professionals, architects, lighting designers, interior designers, graphic designers, green experts, artists, and art consulting firms.
Selected achievements
Exhibitions
Salone Internazionale del Mobile, Milan,
Italy International Biennale Interieur, Kortrijk, Belgium
Kunsthal Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Publications
Interni
Arbitare
Stedelijk Interieur
de Architect
De Blauwe Kamer
Design Report
Scape
Het Kunstmatige Landschap
9+1 Dutch landscape architects
NRC
de Volkskrant
Prizes
YD+I Award
Nomination for De Gouden Piramide
Juries
Red Dot Award
Guest lecturer
Design Academy Eindhoven
Academy of Architecture Amsterdam
Gerrit Rietveld Academie Amsterdam
Rotterdam Academy of Architecture
Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology
Faculty of Industrial Design, Twente University
Academy of Architecture Tilburg
School of Fine Art and Design/St. Joost, Breda
Selected clients
<Logo’s here>
Contact
Buro Poppinga
Anjeliersstraat 145 hs
1015 NE Amsterdam
Tel. +31 (0)20 6811637
Mobile +31 (0)6 51145232
Email info@poppinga.nl
