Between Veluwezoom National Park and the IJssel Valley in Gelderland, in the eastern Netherlands, the new Rheden Town Hall by DP6 Architectuurstudio and Zenber Architecten occupies a site with a layered history — once home to a 17th-century inn and later the well-known Hotel De Engel, a local landmark tied to artist Theo Goedvriend. With a reduced footprint compared to its predecessor, the new building creates room for a public entrance and garden while reinforcing connections between the municipality’s seven villages.

Architectural approach

The design draws on the landscape and history of Gelderland, aiming for clarity and integration. The compact form frames outward views, while the ground level accommodates an entrance and garden. A reused basement supports the left wing, above which sits a transparent council chamber. At the heart of the building, a light-filled atrium connects staff, residents, and visitors. A canopy frames the main entrance.

Interior organisation

The atrium is defined by a wooden staircase that opens views towards the IJssel valley and Veluwezoom. Public functions such as service counters, consultation rooms, the wedding hall, and the council chamber are placed around this central space, while meeting rooms and a workplace cafe sit just beyond. Upper floors provide flexible workspaces for employees.

Regional identity is expressed through crafted details. In the council chamber, a tapestry woven from the wool of local Rheden sheep depicts imagery inspired by painter Theo Goedvriend, who grew up in Hotel De Engel as the son of its director. The building also carries forward the angel motif from the former hotel — a reminder of the site’s past — which now appears beneath the roof of the new town hall. Local beech wood from the nearby Middachten estate, a historic castle with managed woodlands, is used for staircases, wall finishes, and furniture.

Materials and construction

The building shell is kept separate from the interior, with a modular grid and generous floor heights allowing for adaptation over time. The facade is built with Gelderland clay bricks, dry-stacked so they can be dismantled and reused. Bee bricks and nesting boxes are integrated to support biodiversity. A sawtooth roof of cross-laminated timber (CLT) brings daylight into the atrium.

Circular strategies guided material choices: ceilings and furniture from the old town hall were reused, and even sanitary fittings were repurposed. Local wood and biobased finishes reinforce the building’s regional character.

Energy and landscape

Daylight is maximised with large windows, while solar blinds and printed glass reduce glare and heat. The roof combines solar panels with planting, softening the roofline while generating energy. Heating and cooling are supplied by an underground system using water and ice for storage, maintaining comfort with low impact.

The surrounding grounds have been replanted to echo the Veluwezoom and IJssel valley. A forest edge with native trees, rolling meadows with grasses and gorse, and a mix of local flower species create ecological links, manage rainwater, and strengthen biodiversity. Inside, planting in the atrium climbs along the stairs, reinforcing the idea of a green lung at the centre of the building.

Transparent and future-proof town hall in a green setting
Between the Veluwezoom and the IJssel Valley, Gemeente Rheden has settled in a new town hall designed according to high-circular ambitions. The building design is inspired by the rich history of the place and gives the beautiful Gelderland landscape the leading role.

The town hall is located at a central point between the 7 villages that together form the municipality at the foot of the Rhederoord estate. It is a strategic place with a lot of history where, in the 17th century, there was an inn and later the famous hotel 'De Engel', where artists, painters and writers such as Louis Couperus and Simon Carmiggelt stayed. In this beautiful location, the municipality asked ZENBER Architects and DP6 to design a new town hall: open, transparent and hospitable, where you can work together in a pleasant, safe, healthy work environment.

The compact new town hall is 2,000 m² smaller than its predecessor, so that it could be positioned more spacious on the plot and optimally oriented to the two landscapes. This also left space for a spacious entrance area and garden around the building.

Under the left wing of the new building, the basement has been reused. At the corner of this, the council chamber is positioned, prominent and transparent. The transparent atrium at the turning point of the building forms the public heart where employees, residents and visitors meet. Through the welcoming awning, visitors are invited to enter the town hall here.

Staircase landscape in the atrium as a connecting heart
In the hospitable heart of the building, a wooden staircase climbs up with a view over the IJssel Valley at the front and a magnificent view of the Veluwezoom and Hederoord estate on the first floor. Public functions such as counters, meeting rooms and the wedding and council rooms surround the atrium, with semi-public functions such as the dining and work cafe and meeting area behind them. The flexible working environment of the employees is located on the floors.

Identity, history and landscape can be felt in the interior
The identity of the place is reflected in detail in the interior. For example, the wood of the paneling, the custom furniture and the upholstery of the stairs come from beech from the neighboring Middachten estate. The tapestry in the council chamber is made of wool from the Rhenen sheep herd; an image inspired by the paintings of local painter Theo Goedvriend who grew up in Hotel De Engel as the son of the then director. The angel from the hotel of the same name floats under the shed roof of the new town hall.

The new building has been designed in such a way that the hull is separate from the installation. Thanks to a modular grid and a large floor height, it is a flexible building that can anticipate future changes. The building and interior are equipped with demountable materials and detailing as much as possible, so that building components can also be reused. For example, the façade is made of dry-stacked bricks and is only jointed.

Atrium as a 'green lung'
The building uses an ice buffer for energy storage and solar panels for sustainable energy generation. The atrium acts as a “green lung” through plants that “climb” up the stairs, thereby contributing to a healthy work environment.

Because the site is much greener and softer than before, it contributes to cooling and the natural infiltration of rainwater. The plants are in line with the different landscapes of the Veluwezoom and IJssel Valley: a forest with native trees and shrubs, a rolling landscape with grasses, gorse, and a meadow with the 'Rhedens' flower mixture. This makes ecological connections, strengthens biodiversity and naturally infiltrates rainwater.

Location and history
The building was designed to move with the landscape environment of the Veluwezoom and IJssel Valley, while respecting the rich history of the place.

Hospitable and open design
The atrium and the council chamber are transparent and inviting, and the stairway landscape connects people and landscapes.

Flexibility and future-proofing
Modular design and demountable materials make the building adaptable and sustainable.

Energy neutral
Heat and cold storage, solar energy and green roofs contribute to an energy-neutral work environment.

Green environment
The design reinforces biodiversity and offers a pleasant living environment for both employees and nature.