Rectangular building appears to hover

Located right next to the metro station on Isolatorweg, the Medisch Centrum voor Dieren (MCD) is a specialist clinic for companion animals which also provides 24 hour emergency veterinary care. The hygienic and congenial building was designed with a small budget. It stands on an open site in Sloterdijk business park and catches the eye despite its simplicity.

Because of its slightly elevated position, the rectangular building appears to hover and has a stately character. The façade is a skin of grey synthetic roofing material on which perforated metal screens have been mounted with no clearly visible means of attachment. This is a deliberate allusion to a metal dog cage. An open and welcoming entrance with a waiting room has been created in the glazed curtain wall at the building’s head end. The building’s other short side, near the staff area, also has an open character. This openness is due to the large number of windows, which allow views into the interior. Because of this transparency, at dusk and in the evenings the building exudes a welcoming aura. The use of materials in the interior reflects the clinic’s layout. The white rendered core contains the operating rooms, intensive care and overnight stay facilities. The surrounding wooden corridor walls contrast with this white rendered core. Behind the wooden walls are the clinics, laboratories and offices, all of which have windows on the street side. The technical installations and the timber frame construction have been left exposed to view. The building’s structure and the circulation route are immediately clear to visitors. (ARCAM)