The work of the MVRDV architectural studio can be considered an emblematic turning point in Dutch architecture, which in the 1990s set off a radical transformation in the Netherlands in both the physical and the spatial sense. This was the assertion of a different manner of relating to constructed environments that called for redefinition, in the theoretical sense, of such notions as space, distance, place and living environment. In concrete terms, this was to produce striking changes in the outline of cities and the very image of the urban landscape.
Early projects such as the Light Urbanism study for the Municipality of Rotterdam, the headquarters for Public Broadcasting Company VPRO and housing for elderly WoZoCo's in Amsterdam brought MVRDV to the attention of a wide field of clients and gave them international acclaim. What stands out as the characteristic feature of MVRDV is an adherence to reality and the need to strip the eye of preconceived ideas. The operational methodology that stems from this is centred around the application of the "technique" of the datascape, based on an extensive and generalised research which tends to assemble an enormous quantity of information so as to proceed to the project phase in a rational, objective manner.
