Utrecht

The design combination of bureau SLA,  Inbo, Overtreders W, Woonpioniers and Boom Landscape won the design assignment for a new cultural heart on Berlijnplein in Utrecht Leidse Rijn, united in the “De Pleinmakers” consortium. Caption Cultural Heart Berlijnplein is a new cultural development of 9,200 m2, including the design of layout of the associated site. The cultural heart will allow for exhibition and presentation spaces, studios for dance, theater and music, workshops, catering and workshops for education and the creative industry. Naturally, the buildings and area will facilitate creativity, innovation and network events. The culture cluster is built and operated in a circular and energy-neutral way and is flexi... More

A new square for the city What used to be the backside of Utrecht Central Station, a dead and windy plain that offered a colorless route to the Jaarbeurs complex, is now transforming into a new square for the city of Utrecht. It is meant to become a pleasant transit area, but also a great area to linger, to sit and have a chat under a tree or in the sun, or have a sandwich. Not only for the bus and train travellers but also for all the people working in or visiting the new city hall, or the guests of the hotels around the square. A stepped square with trees, that connects the old city, the busy area around the station and the west side of Utrecht, and in reality creates a new city center. The underground parking garage In collaboration w... More

The transformation of the Utrecht Station Area is in full swing. Restructuring both infrastructure and urban layout aims for connecting the east and west side of the tracks in an obstacle-free manner. The new Station Passage, and the new Rabo-bridge will literally bridged this physical barrier caused by the railway tracks. In addition the raised ground pedestrian platform at level with the terminal - The Forum South, will organise and guide the passenger flows in a logical way.Connecting and stayingDevelopment of the Utrecht Station Area focuses around the themes ‘connecting’ and ‘staying’. Within this context the Forum organises and guides the passenger flows from the station to the surrounding destinations, includi... More

Understated chic appealBetonprijs 2003Communicative buildingThe Head Office of Mercedes-Benz in the Netherlands, originally designed for their parent company DaimlerChrysler (at that time still merged), is located in the bend of the Oudenrijn junction near Utrecht. The oval, silvery coloured building is clearly visible from the road. The building responds to this with the rectangular auditorium that protrudes from the glass facade of the atrium and serves as a life-size billboard with alternating advertisements. The building's communicative function is also apparent from the interior, with a central atrium that exudes openness and stimulates cooperation between the different parts of the organisation. The concrete construction has a so... More

The Knoopkazerne in the center of Utrecht dates from 1989 and served for decades as headquarters for the Royal Netherlands Army. The building has now been radically transformed into a combined office and meeting center for the national government. Commissioned by the consortium R Creators with Strukton, Ballast Nedam and Facilicom, cepezed produced the architectural design. Fokkema & Partners Architects was involved for the interior design and Rijnboutt for the urban design component.The original complex was characterized by a pronounced multitude of volumes with varying heights and floor dimen- sions as well as meandering façades with a smoke glass sun-blind. In the redevelopment designed by cepezed, drastic changes have been combined... More

With a stepped rooftop landscape and two 50-meter-tall vertical accents, The Cube student housing complex forms a landmark in Overvecht and a discernible feature in the Utrecht skyline. In redeveloping this area of the central city and creating a project brief, local government bodies prioritised ‘healthy urban living’. The resulting design reflects a firm focus on these principles. Caption Caption Caption HealthyThe Cube consists of two interlocking, stepped, sixteen-floor towers. The series of rooftop gardens are connected by interlocking stairs, and form two continuous routes starting from the ground floor. These routes are marked with a timber-finished incision cut out of the brick façade. Along this s... More

The strategy for a.s.r.’s 1970’s office building renovation was to preserve what worked, and upgrade what didn’t. This gargantuan structure with 86,000m2 of floor space was stripped down and fitted with new façades, an underground conference center and a completely new interior including the addition of voids. Remarkably, the office remained in use throughout the renovation. The end result is the astonishing transformation of a dated, imposing workspace into a bright, leafy, open office complex, as well as an ‘excellent’ rating from BREEAM­ for sustainability. Jannes Linders Sawtooth façadeThe new façade makes the building brighter and more energy efficient. The double-layer, clim... More

ICC Interest & Currency Consultants, future proof. ICC chose Bureau in aanbouw because ICC and Bureau in aanbouw work the se way > accomplish as independant advisor the best result for the customer! It was clear that Bureau in aanbouw would manage the total project, to get the highest quility, prevent surprises and additional costs. Olga Tange was chosen as interior designer. At the end, ICC realized a project cost reduction that was more than the advice traject fee from Bureau in aanbouw. A win win situation, again. More

The Railway Museum is situated at the rear of Maliebaan Station in the city centre of Utrecht. Considerable thought went into how the museum relates to its surroundings. The building consists of a large hall plus three exhibition rooms whose volumes project through the sloping roof. The outer wall is built in brickwork with window strips that are filled with glazing, grilles or sections of weather-boarding according to the interior functions. The structural frame resembles a rib cage, and is supported by columns which branch upwards like trees. Railway Museum Utrecht, the Netherlands by Arc2 architecten. More

The ‘Rabobrug' is a 275m long bridge for cyclists and pedestrians that will be built across the train tracks next to Utrecht Central Station, the country's main railway junction. The bridge has been planned and anticipated for years, because at a location where it is desparately needed, there has never been a connection between the two vital city quarters on both sides of the tracks. The bridge is slender and elementary but stylish and user-friendly, and has access to the platforms. Keynote is a simple set-up that makes constructional use of the access points. The supports of the bridge coincide with these, so that the load is evenly divided and the span between the lightweight, repeating components is never more than 25 to 30 metres. Thus,... More

A building with a rich history dating back to the 14th Century, listed on the national list of monuments (status: Rijksmonument), is since long time in residential use. The 73m2 attic however had no possible function but storage as no daylight entered the room. Insulation of the roof, bringing in daylight through the introduction of roof windows and two dormers formed the boundary conditions to make domestic use of this attic possible. The design of a compact sanitary cell unit and a kitchen allows the attic to function as an independent apartment. The design and planning of this renovation was a delicate process whereby a balance had to be found between the contemporary wishes of the residents and the historic identity and material of t... More