studio L A

A recurring exploration at Studio L A is the way simple forms can spark imagination and inspire different forms of interaction - through the body, through content or through community. As designers, we are interested in what it means to define a space without imposing a fixed function on the user, but instead, creating opportunities where the user feels welcomed to explore, imagine, experiment and determine a space as their own. Through these three projects, ‘simple’ forms inspire a complexity of actions and each project acts as a canvas where curiosity is given free rein and new perspectives are encouraged. — 2 - 4: Educatieruimtes, @stedelijkmuseum , 2024 5 - 7: Museum voor de Toekomst, @urbanfuturesstudio , 2025 8 - 12: Kindermuseum, Transit- @hetnoordbrabantsmuseum , 2025

In de tentoonstelling Ongekend Talent. Vrouwen van de Amsterdamse School laat ook @studiola_architects zien hoe architectuur verder reikt dan alleen het ontwerp van gebouwen. De studio, opgericht door Lorien Beijaert en Arna Mačkić, werkt aan publieke architectuur die inspeelt op urgente maatschappelijke vraagstukken - van toegankelijkheid en ontmoeting tot herdenken en het zichtbaar maken van onderbelichte verhalen. Hun werk vertrekt altijd vanuit mensen en gemeenschappen, en laat zien hoe architectuur kan bijdragen aan verbinding en gelijkwaardigheid. Net als bij de Amsterdamse School staat ook hier het samenspel tussen ambacht, visie en maatschappelijke betrokkenheid centraal. 🎥 Video door @sans.studio.amsterdam 👉 Nu te zien bij Museum Het Schip – kom langs en ervaar het zelf! #MuseumHetSchip #vrouwenvandeamsterdamseschool #AmsterdamseSchool #Architectuur #StudioLA

Herdenkingsplek Lelystad | Part 2/2 This exchange is evident in the design: in the choice of stone as a vehicle for stories that transcend generations, in the location within the waters of Zilverpark, referencing the Flevoland polder landscape, and in the individual stones designed by each community together with Studio L A. The memorial site is not only a static embodiment of meaning and memory, but also an active, evolving public space that is accessible and open to various uses. In an increasingly polarized time, this project demonstrates how participation can contribute to connection. Through dialogue, shared responsibility, and ongoing collaboration, a diverse group of people has grown into a collective that together carry the monument.

Herdenkingsplek Lelystad | Part 1/2 Since 2017, the municipality of Lelystad has been collaborating with the Remembrance, Reconciliation and Freedom Foundation on the development of a new memorial site. What began as a practical need for an accessible space for the growing number of visitors to the National Remembrance Day on May 4th has grown into a participatory project that reflects the city’s diversity. From the beginning, representatives from various communities have been involved: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities, the Roma and Sinti communities, veterans, the Committee for the Remembrance of Slavery, the LGBTQIA+ community, Indigenous Surinamese and Indonesian communities, the street pastoral service, people with physical disabilities, and local residents. Discussions focused on symbolism, rituals, accessibility, acceptance, and shared experiences of loss and resilience. Their knowledge and experiences surrounding remembrance and dealing with the past formed an indispensable basis for the design. Throughout the entire process, they contributed reflections, questions, and direction in a focus group.

For the new DV&O building in Zaandam, we designed a site-specific artwork for the entrance area that provides a narrative network and tribute to everyone who is — or once was — a part of the organisation. On the wall, the Dutch road network is brought to life through lines of brass, on which hang handcrafted ceramic plates by @telfer_ceramics that each tell a story. The plates mark locations across the Netherlands where DV&O employees experienced something remarkable: a moment that stayed with them and that reflects the nature of their work and organization. Each plate bears the abbreviation of the division from which the story originates and the shape of the plate refers to the year in which the event took place. Together, they form a layered map of memories spread across the country. At the foot of the wall sits a pedestal with a book designed by @studiojoostgrootens , containing the complete road map and all the stories represented by the plates. This book offers a visual and textual reflection of DV&O — what has been experienced, and how colleagues are and were connected. The artwork reveals a tangible network of people, departments, events, and trust. It invites viewers to read one another’s stories, deepen mutual understanding, and offers new employees or visitors a unique way of getting to know the organization. 📸 @mwahartnibbrig

Our proposal for the reconstructed Batavia in Lelystad engaged the ship as both a complex historical artefact and as a collective achievement. The rebuilding of the ship, led by Willem Vos, was the result of a clear social goal: to give people at a distance from the labour market an opportunity to join in building something big. As part of our process, we took the time to sit with the caretakers, craftspeople, and the local community, who had spent time learning historical shipbuilding techniques and crafting the vessel by hand. Listening to their stories and experiences, we integrated their ideas and developed an approach focused on care, continuity, and shared authorship. In addressing the practical requirements - such as protecting the ship from rain and strengthening its connection to the adjacent museum - the five design scenarios we presented were rooted in conversations with the community and the layered narratives surrounding the vessel. 1. “In het schip wordt hard gewerkt”. Gemeente Lelystad. Het Flevoland Archief. 2. Site Plan. 3. De Overkapping (The Canopy). 4. “Veel houtsnijwerk”. 1989. Gemeente Lelystad. Het Flevoland Archief. 5. Fragmenten (Fragments). 6. Scheepsdok (Ship Dock). 7. Section - Lichtloods (The Lighthouse). 8. Verzonken Werf (Sunken Shipyard).

Studio L A is geselecteerd als een van de hedendaagse stemmen in Ongekend Talent: Vrouwen van de Amsterdamse School, te zien in @museumhetschip In de film reflecteren we op wat het betekent om als vrouw in de architectuur te werken, en delen we onze ideeën achter het ontwikkelen van een sociaal betrokken en participatieve praktijk. Veel dank aan @mellevanmaanen voor het interview en aan @sans.studio.amsterdam voor de prachtige film. De tentoonstelling is te bezoeken t/m 28 juni 2026. Informatie en tickets zijn te vinden via de link in onze bio. Voor de volledige video, bekijk @sans.studio.amsterdam

Last weekend, we gathered at @km21denhaag / Kunstmuseum Den Haag for Cups of Memory Conversations— where artists, architects, historians, and scholars from diverse fields came together in dialogue. into dialogue. Artist Aida Šehović and architect Arna Mačkić joined an inspiring panel of experts to reflect on the questions raised by their exhibition Cups of Memory at KM21. In front of a full house, their conversation explored how we carry the legacies of genocide and conflict, and the ways art can open pathways toward healing. It also offered a space to reflect on the Dutch connection to Srebrenica, and how this memory continues to shape our collective understanding. Our heartfelt gratitude to Jennifer Tosch, Guido Snel, Floris Alkemade, and Chris Keulemans for their generous insights—and a special thank-you to Director Margriet Schavemaker and curator Yasmijn Jarram, whose belief in our vision made it possible to bring this exhibition to Kunstmuseum Den Haag / KM21. There are only a few days left to visit Cups of Memory at KM21—on view through November 16. We invite you to experience this meaningful first step toward a permanent version of the ŠTO TE NEMA monument. Photos by Franck Doho. // Vorige week kwamen we samen in KM21 / Kunstmuseum Den Haag voor Cups of Memory Conversations — een bijzondere bijeenkomst waar kunstenaars, architecten, historici en denkers uit verschillende disciplines met elkaar in gesprek gingen. Kunstenaar Aida Šehović en architect Arna Mačkić namen deel aan een inspirerend panel om stil te staan bij de vragen en thema’s die hun tentoonstelling Cups of Memory in KM21 oproept. Voor een volle zaal spraken zij over hoe we de erfenissen van genocide en conflict met ons meedragen, en hoe kunst ruimte kan scheppen voor heling en verbinding. Het gesprek bood ook gelegenheid om te reflecteren op de Nederlandse betrokkenheid bij Srebrenica, en hoe deze herinnering ons collectieve bewustzijn blijft vormen. [CONTINUES IN THE COMMENT BELOW]

Cups of Memory by architect Arna Mačkić (Studio L A) and artist Aida Šehović (ŠTO TE NEMA), both survivors of the Bosnian War (1992-1995), presents a new interpretation of remembrance, in which art, collective memory and shared rituals not only reflect on the past, but confront its long-term consequences that continue to shape our present. • How can monuments confront and reshape collective memory? • How can communities imagine new, inclusive practices of public remembrance? Cups of Memory Conversations delves deeper into the questions raised by the exhibition. Mačkić and Šehović will speak about their work with Chris Keulemans. They will be joined by cultural historian and co-founder of Sites of Memory Jennifer Tosch, former Chief Government Architect Floris Alkemade, and literary scholar and Slavicist Guido Snel. what: Cups of Memory Conversations where: KM21 when: Saturday 8 November, 14:30 hrs – 17:00 hrs ticket: €7.50, including entry to KM21 and a drink at Gember language: English // Cups of Memory van architect Arna Mačkić (Studio L A) en kunstenaar Aida Šehović (ŠTO TE NEMA), beiden overlevenden van de Bosnische Oorlog (1992–1995), geeft een nieuwe invulling aan herdenken. In hun werk worden kunst, collectief geheugen en gedeelde rituelen niet alleen gebruikt om op het verleden te reflecteren, maar ook om de langetermijngevolgen ervan bloot te leggen— gevolgen die nog altijd sterk aanwezig zijn. • Hoe kunnen monumenten het collectieve geheugen uitdagen en hervormen? • Hoe kunnen gemeenschappen nieuwe, inclusieve vormen van publiek herdenken verbeelden? Cups of Memory Conversations gaat dieper in op de vragen die worden gesteld in de tentoonstelling. Mačkić en Šehović zullen in gesprek gaan met Chris Keulemans over hun werk. Ze worden vergezeld door cultuurhistoricus en medeoprichter van Sites of Memory Jennifer Tosch, voormalig Rijksbouwmeester Floris Alkemade, en literatuurwetenschapper en slavist Guido Snel. wat: Cups of Memory Conversations waar: KM21 wanneer: Zaterdag 8 november 14.30 - 17.00 uur wicket: 7,50 euro inclusief bezoek KM21 en drankje in Gember voertaal: Engels

Installation of CUPS OF MEMORY exhibition by Arna Mačkić / Studio L A and Aida Šehović / ŠTO TE NEMA now on view at KM21 Kunstmuseum Den Haag. @aida_sehovic @stotenema_monument @arna_cat @studiola_architects @km21denhaag

Arna Mačkić / Studio L A and Aida Šehović / ŠTO TE NEMA are preparing for their upcoming exhibition at KM21 Museum in The Hague. More information coming soon. @studiola_architects @arna_cat @stotenema_monument @aida_sehovic @km21denhaag

Dit is het verhaal achter het Geheugenpaviljoen Aan de rand van het Zuiderplantsoen heeft Studio L A (ontwerpers Lorien Beijaert en Arna Mačkić) een plek ontworpen om samen te komen en te genieten van het park. Het Geheugenpaviljoen, waarschijnlijk heb je er al iets over gehoord. In januari kun je je stem laten horen over het project op stemvan.groningen.nl In deze video vertelt Lorien je meer over het ontwerp, wat het inhoudt en hoe het tot stand is gekomen. Credits: Studio Snoekduik