NOAHH | Network Oriented Architecture has revealed its design for the new food hall in Schalkwijk, a suburb of Haarlem, the Netherlands. The building will have the capacity to host cultural events and music concerts, as well as facilitate workspaces. The new food hall will become the beating heart of downtown Schalkwijk – a cultural hub where people can connect and spend quality time together. 

Rhombic design
The composition of the food hall is appealingly elementary. The elevated kinked pitched roof is constructed in wood. The characteristic rhombic roof shape emphasizes the connection to the shopping centre and the market square. The open glazed façades invite passers-by to come inside, explore the venue and enjoy a quick bite to eat, as well as ensuring a good connection between the indoor and outdoor space. With its distinctive rhombic shape and materialisation, the new building stands out in its surroundings in a subtle way, adding quality and radiance to the centre of Schalkwijk.

Circular ambition
The project aims for a circular and energy efficient design through the use of glued laminated (glulam) timber structures and demountable structures. NOAHH chose timber, as this material is not only renewable, it also has the lowest embodied carbon of any commercially-available building material, and helps deliver sustainable buildings with great thermal and acoustic performance. 

About Schalkwijk
The shopping centre of Schalkwijk was built in the 1970s and will be renovated and transformed over the next few years into a modern and attractive city district centre. The unique collaboration between the municipality and the owners’ association has led to the development of a high-quality multifunctional area, adding a food hall, residential area, shops, a cinema, catering establishments, new walking routes and renewal of the outdoor space to the mix.