Republiek is a permanent beach pavilion designed to replace the temporary pavilions at Bloemendaal aan Zee and stay open in both summer and winter under varying conditions. The assignment was to design a new restaurant building with complete furnishing by the sea, literally on the beach. Contemporary, quirky and recognizable were the key words. The client wished for a luxurious appearance and high-quality building, which is unusual for beach pavilions by Dutch standards. The result is a building with two spacious wings, the restaurant and the private room, in a total of approximately 550 m². 

On the seaside, the building uses an angle of 30 degrees to take advantage of the sunshine on the location. The building is idiosyncratic, which manifests itself mainly in the roof. The entrance at the junction of the two wings acts as a gate that creates a special effect using scale-differences upon entering. Inside, a large steel truss forms the backbone of the spectacular construction and gives an extra experience to the space. Almost all windows towards the see/terrace can be opened vertically and merge the inside and the outside into one another. For the interior the Tadelakt-like plastered walls in soft colors have been chosen for a serene atmosphere, alternating with several materials from the same color-palette.

The main pedestrian approach towards the building happens through the path from the top of the dune. The building manifests itself on the beach, spreading out its roof like two large wings. The facade is covered with untreated Fraké lamellae, which will gray out with time and get their patina. The building function as a restaurant as well as a banquet hall. At the sea, there is often a south-westerly wind so the places on the terrace out of the wind are desirable locations.

Team:
Architect: HeikoHulsker & Partners
Photography: Ossip van Duivenbode, Kasia Gatkowska