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Ben van Berkel
Dutch designer Ben van Berkel was born in Utrecht on January 25, 1957. After studying at Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, he graduated cum laude here in 1987 at the age of 30. One year after graduating in 1988, he founded 'Architectuurbureau Berkel en Bos' together with Dutch architect Caroline Bos.
This collaboration proved to be a good initiative, because in 1998 they founded a new company: UNStudio. This is a network of specialists in architecture, infrastructure and urban planning. Designs by UNStudio include the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, the well-known Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam and the Agora Theater in Lelystad.
In addition to his work as an architect, van Berkel also teaches at various universities. He does this both inside and outside the Netherlands. In 2001, van Berkel was awarded the Kenzo Tange Chair, a prestigious prize he received at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.