Passages as Pause Spaces

Passages aren't just corridors – they can be spaces for connection, learning, and reflection. At BPAS, inspired by the vision of Dutch architect Herman Hertzberger, we design with the people who use these spaces in mind.

Hertzberger re-imagined passages by incorporating visual and physical connections to courtyards, creating opportunities for people to pause and engage with their surroundings. And that brings more opportunities for engaging the senses therefore, learning and focusing on the human experience within our design.

These pause spaces serve as transitional zones, offering people moments of contemplation and connection with nature. The visibility of a courtyard from a passage enhances this experience, providing a visual anchor that draws people through the space while encouraging moments of pause, bringing the outside world in.

This is what we’ve focused on doing in our designs for STADIO Durbanville project, which will be a comprehensive new tertiary education campus. We’ve used the ground floor as a public sphere and kept connecting corridors open and accessible, so you don’t feel you’re being funneled into classrooms, but that each classroom has a relationship to the environment around it. This layout reflects our belief that the spaces in which people learn profoundly shape how they learn.

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