From the architect. Located across Britain and abroad, Maggie’s Centres are conceived to provide a welcoming ‘home away from home’ – a place of refuge where people affected by cancer can find emotional and practical support. Inspired by the blueprint for a new type of care set out by Maggie Keswick Jencks, they place great value upon the power of architecture to lift the spirits and help in the process of therapy. The design of the Manchester centre aims to establish a domestic atmosphere in a garden setting and, appropriately, is first glimpsed at the end of a tree-lined street, a short walk from The Christie Hospital and its leading oncology unit.
The building occupies a sunny site and is arranged over a single storey, keeping its profile low and reflecting the residential scale of the surrounding streets. The roof rises in the centre to create a mezzanine level, naturally illuminated by triangular roof lights and it is supported by lightweight timber lattice beams. The beams act as natural partitions between different internal areas, visually dissolving the architecture into the surrounding gardens. The centre combines a variety of spaces, from intimate private niches to a library, exercise rooms and places to gather and share a cup of tea. The heart of the building is the kitchen, which is centred on a large, communal table. Institutional references, such as corridors and hospital signs have been banished in favour of home-like spaces. To that end the materials palette combines warm, natural wood and tactile surfaces. Staff will be unobtrusive, yet close and accessible. Support offices are placed on a mezzanine level positioned on top of a wide central spine, with toilets and storage spaces below, maintaining natural visual connections across the building.
Throughout the centre, there is a focus on natural light, greenery and garden views. The rectilinear plan is punctuated by landscaped courtyards and the entire western elevation extends into a wide veranda, which is sheltered from the rain by the deep overhang of the roof. Sliding glass doors open the building up to a garden setting created by Dan Pearson Studio. Each treatment and counselling room on the eastern façade faces its own private garden. The south end of the building, extends to embrace a greenhouse – a celebration of light and nature – which provides a garden retreat, a space for people to gather, to work with their hands and enjoy the therapeutic qualities of nature and the outdoors. It will be a space to grow flowers and other produce that can be used at the centre giving the patients a sense of purpose at a time when they may feel at their most vulnerable.
The centre, designed and engineered by Foster + Partners, also features bespoke furniture designed by Norman Foster and Mike Holland who heads out the industrial design team in the practice. These include kitchen units and table, sideboards and other shelving units.
Lord Foster, Chairman and Founder of Foster + Partners: “I have first-hand experience of the distress of a cancer diagnosis and understand how important Maggie’s Centres are as a retreat offering information, sanctuary and support. Our aim in Manchester, the city of my youth, was to create a building that is welcoming, friendly and without any of the institutional references of a hospital or health centre – a light-filled, homely space where people can gather, talk or simply reflect. That is why throughout the building there is a focus on natural light, greenery and views; with a greenhouse to provide fresh flowers, and an emphasis on the therapeutic qualities of nature and the outdoors. The timber frame, helps to connect the building with the surrounding greenery – externally, this structure will be partially planted with vines, making the architecture appear to dissolve into the gardens.”
For the 5th year, Canal180 will host the 180 Creative Camp – an 8 day Media Arts Academy, from 3rd to 10th July in Abrantes, Portugal. We aim to provide a time and place for young creators, invited artists and thinkers to learn together, exchange experiences and give birth to new collaborations and projects.
180 Creative Camp is looking for young bubbling creative spirits to come to Abrantes and take part of the daily workshops, talks and activities, embracing the city and leaving their mark through. Everyone who’s involved in disciplines such as graphic design, architecture, art, music, video, photography, illustration or installation is welcome to get a ticket and take part in this event! It’s an opportunity to contact multiple well-known artists and also with other participants. Everyone is encouraged to get creative and put some ideas in practice during the week!
This edition will inclue with many interesting names within the international creative world: Boa Mistura, the Spanish team known for their extraordinary graphical interventions at public spaces; Sean Dunne, a film director documenting the most bizarre realities around the world; photographer and cultural manager Frank Kalero, former resident at Benetton’s Fabrica in Italy, curator of photography festivals in France, Spain, India and Brasil and one of the founders of the Ojo de Pez magazine; Javier Peña Ibáñez, director of Concéntrico, festival of architecture and design, whose work is well known mainly for inviting citizens to (re)think their surrounding environments; the founder of Intern’s Magazine, Alec Dudson, a remarkable publication showcasing amazing creators and debating the creative world, with its perks and downsides; the film director Isaac Niemand, with a wide spectacular work that includes documentary, animation, commercials and music videos; illustrator and designer José Cardoso, famous for its strong characters and colorful identities.
Interaction with the city and its people is one of the main characteristics of the event. Therefore, along with remaining program, we develop “Stores Art Attack,” a challenge for artists and participants to create projects along with the traditional street shops of the city. There are also activities such as talk sessions with the artists, movies, portfolio reviews and music concerts opened to the local community.
Since 2012 people from all over the world, from Los Angeles to Copenhagen, Santiago de Chile to Berlin, have come to 180 Creative Camp showing their best. This event has been a challenge and a pleasure to make and we want to make it even better in its 5th edition!
Invited Artists Boa Mistura (ES) Sean Dunne (USA) Frank Kalero (ES) Javier Peña Ibáñez (ES) Alec Dudson (UK) Isaac Niemand (ES) José Cardoso (PT)
Events workshops talks films portfolio reviews concerts
Last May, Islamic State forces took control of Palmyra, one of the world’s most treasured UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In the proceeding months, the world looked on in shock as ISIS released a series of videos showing the destruction of the priceless ruins. Last month however, the ancient city was recaptured, marking the beginning of a difficult discussion about what the international preservation community should do next.
ArchDaily had the opportunity to interview Stefan Simon, the Inaugural Director of the Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH) at Yale University, an organization “dedicated to advancing the field of heritage science by improving the science and practice of conservation in a sustainable manner.” Simon earned his PhD in Chemistry from the Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, and has broad experience in material deterioration diagnostics, microanalytics, climatology, and non-destructive mechanical testing. He previously served as Director of the Rathgen Research Laboratory at the National Museums in Berlin, as a member and Vice President of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), and as leader of the Building Materials section at the Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, in 2005, among numerous other accomplishments.
The conversation that focused on cultural preservation in the wake of conflict, and specifically, how to proceed in Palmyra now that the Syrian site has been wrenched back from the control of the Islamic State. The tragic case of Palmyra guided a conversation that sought out specificity on the options and considerations that must be taken in the wake of trauma.
Vladimir Gintoff:What historical precedents are there for destroying and rebuilding a site of conflict such as this?
Stefan Simon: There have been many, which come to mind, Warsaw, Dresden, the old bridge (Stari Most) in Mostar, destroyed during the Bosnian war and rebuilt (a lighthouse project, finished while many mosques, churches and monasteries are still laying in rubble until today in Bosnia!). Unfortunately, mankind has an extensive record in destruction and rebuilding. Also after other types of disaster, for example Sungnyemun, National Treasure No.1, the great south gate of the wall city of old Seoul from the Joseon Dynasty, that was destroyed in a fire on February 10th, 2008, and subsequently rebuilt, and also, in a very impressive way, the world heritage sites (Shrine of Alpha Moya in Timbuktu, etc.). Not forgetting the ongoing discussion on the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan.
VG:The restoration of architecture can often be a tenuous discipline, balancing a desire to preserve history against the irrevocability of change. Are you in favor of using only original materials in restorations or a hybrid of old and new that revives formal characteristics but acknowledges past conflicts and traumas?
SS: You use a very good word, “balance.” The idea of using only “original” materials sounds convincing, but in most cases is simply not workable, and it can also be debatable what “original” materials actually means in the context of historic preservation: does it refer just to the materials, or to the building techniques and so on?
The idea to acknowledge past conflict without romanticizing is also a quite recent one. We have to realize that conservation ethics develop not in a linear way, but rather in waves. We have seen aesthetic, puristic, scientific, historic and other waves, also strongly depending on the cultural context.
In cultures based more on wood than on stone as a fundamental construction material, like in Japan or parts of China, the concept of the original is different than in the Western hemisphere. We have to be aware of this. In general, I think it is not a bad idea to listen first to those who are the closest stakeholders. Here, that’s our colleagues in Syria who are actually defending cultural heritage on the ground, they are true monuments men, and more than a dozen of them have paid with their lives. Then, look at the charters, and of course mobilize international support. We are in here on a long haul, that should be clear.
VG:Great works of architecture are demolished all the time, usually to accommodate the neoliberal free market economy. Why is it that the harm of ancient sites strikes so much stronger of a cord?
SS: An excellent question. The biggest threat to cultural heritage still is agricultural and urban development, not disaster. Not that these losses go unnoticed in the professional community.
As for the world heritage sites in Africa and the Middle East, the striking of the cord seems to work in both ways, for those who commit these horrible war crimes of destruction, whether in Syria, Mali, Nigeria, or elsewhere, and those who helplessly watch from a more global perspective. Actually, I think we cannot discuss Palmyra without thinking about Aleppo, Homs and the other cities, where the people of Syria are suffering over these long years of conflict. It seems to me very important to make the discussion on conservation and reconstruction a place for civic engagement, show that it is relevant for everybody. If we were to concentrate only on the case of Palmyra, I think we would fail on a critical step, and lose at a critical point, the sustainability.
SS: I think this will be a long process. Honestly, if in 2, 3 years, there is a concrete plan how to move things forward in Palmyra, that would be a huge success for the Syrians and the international conservation community. It will also require huge international support, for sure, but then it can have an important role of reconciliation for the people. I am not sure about the concept of adding architectural meaning. The New Museum in Berlin for example, it certainly is a great example of how to respect and deal with traces of historic change in a modern museum setting – but it is not a standard, it is also just a product of its specific time, and by no means the best or the ultimate approach to dealing with such situations forever.
VG:If you were to advocate for a complete restoration of the site, do you think there should also be elements that acknowledge the city’s occupation by ISIS?
SS: There is no way, not even theoretical, I think, which can erase the traces which the ISIS occupation left on the site of Palmyra. These have been so massive, and there are also other damages caused by other conflict parties. And not forgetting the looting which is ongoing on an industrial scale in Syria and other countries, not only in ISIS controlled regions. When we talk about restoration, and whatever you may refer to as complete, I want to hear the voices of our Syrian colleagues first, the voices of ICOMOS, in which almost 10,000 international professionals of conservation are united, UNESCO, ICCROM and others. I think this can provide quite a consensual platform to identify the priorities.
VG:Do you think this process in Palmyra will be mired by the same bureaucracy that has plagued the Buddhas of Bamiyan since their destruction in 2001? There the ethics over original or new materials questions the site’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and certain proposals to resurrect only one of the figures – a gesture of coming to terms with past violence – violates the unbreakable bond of the two buddhas (Shamana and Salsal).
SS: Of course I expect more heated debates about the “good” approach. We are already witnessing these, around the recent demonstration on Trafalgar Square in London. This may be more interesting in terms of process than of product. We cannot just simply 3D scan and reprint history.
I remember that shortly after the devastating earthquake in Bam in December 2003, with many fatalities in the city, an impressive majority of the inhabitants were expressing their wish to prioritize conserving and rebuilding the Arg-é Bam and the city (which later in 2004 became World Heritage). This might have come as a surprise if you saw the people living in tents, without water and basic supplies, but it provided impressive evidence for what cultural heritage really means for the people.
VG:Who do you see as being responsible for the restoration work? And would you expect it to begin in the immediate future? In other words, I’m curious if think that these efforts can get underway while the region remains in a state of turmoil?
SS: The Syrian DGAM has been and is working on various protection and conservation projects over the past years, in very difficult circumstances, as we all can imagine. The international community is expected to support and accompany these processes, and we have to be generous, creative and innovative in our support!
In accordance with international charters, it will be on the Syrian colleagues to take the lead. Let me remind you what happened in Timbuktu: The reconstruction efforts were a matter of human dignity and respect for identity, above all. The UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova said recently in a lecture at Yale, how touched she was, how important this reconstruction was to her personally, and I can totally understand her. Cultural heritage is at the root of the human identity! Of course we can give professional advice, of course we should try to resist political pressures from whatever side, but we need to realize that also the global world heritage only has a chance to be preserved in a sustainable manner when the local stakeholders are fully engaged and embracing the agreed-upon solution.
From the architect. The rural community of Totihue (Sixth Region, Chile) was using an old silo as a Chapel since 1972. After the earthquake in Chile on February 27th 2010, the silo resulted unusable, so it had to be closed because of danger of collapse.
The silo construction is a recurring image in the Chilean countryside, so this particular silo has an important symbolic meaning for the community of Totihue. Therefore, this project, made in collaboration with the Fundación AIS Chile and the community of Totihue, rescued and supplemented the old structure with a new gabled volume, in the manner of a barn. The new volumen welcomes the new chapel, and the renewed silo operates as a funeral parlour, community center and other complementary activities to the chapel. The silo, with a base diameter of 10.50 meters and 10.50 meters in height, determines the extent of the new chapel, whose plant is a square of 10.50 meters each side, which houses the assembly, and its double golden abatement plant houses the court on one side and the presbytery, on the other. The height of the new chapel is 7 meters, allowing the silo to be the main element of the set. Another of the formal references was Rafaelito´s drawing, a boy from Totihue, as a result of a call from the parish priest inviting all the community children to dream about the new chapel.
The silo, apart from being repaired structurally, was coated on its outer with Hunter Douglas white metal plates Quadrolines 30×15, keeping the color and image of the patrimonial silo, while the new chapel has been coated with the same metal plate, but dark gray, seeking not to compete with pre-existing structure. Thus the autonomy of each volume is achieved using a single material, which is a constant work of our architectural workshop. The interior of the chapel was covered in pine 3/4 x 5 inches, which was donated by neighbors from Totihue.
Natural lighting of the silo was worked by twelve lower openings, that allow keeping the solemn condition of the space respecting overall verticality and height inside the silo; while in the chapel a large window over the altar was privileged, in order to illuminate the latter and see the silo as a background. The assembly is indirectly illuminated by fourteen windows halfway up. The outer court is protected from the sun generating shade by perforated metal plates installed in such a way to achieve a secure and ventilated space. The perforated plate has also been used in the belfry, which is a free volume of the set, with 7 meters, the same height as the chapel.
Now in its 20th year, the COTE Top Ten Awards program honors projects that protect and enhance the environment through an integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology.
A recently released study, entitled Lessons from the Leading Edge, reports that design projects recognized through this program are “outpacing the industry by virtually every standard of performance.”
The design of the BRB embraces the moderate climate of Ireland. By locating low-load spaces along the perimeter of the building, the project is able to take advantage of natural ventilation as the sole conditioning strategy for the majority of the year and is supplemented less than 10% of the year with radiant heating. Due to this approach, 45% of this intensive research building is able to function without mechanical ventilation. This is an extremely simple, yet radical approach and is rarely implemented to even a modest extent in similar laboratories in comparable U.S. climates.
The CSL is an education, research and administration facility at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Designed to be the greenest building in the world, it generates all of its own energy and treats all storm and sanitary water captured on-site. The CSL is the first and only building to meet four of the highest green certifications: the Living Building Challenge, LEED Platinum, WELL Building Platinum, and Four-Stars Sustainable SITES. As an integral part of the Phipps visitor experience, the CSL focuses attention on the important intersection between the built and natural environments, demonstrating that human and environmental health are inextricably connected.
The Exploratorium is an interactive science museum that also demonstrates innovation and sustainability in its design and construction. The building takes advantage of the historic pier shed’s natural lighting and the 800-foot-long roof provided room for a 1.3 megawatt photovoltaic array. The water of the bay is used for cooling and heating. Materials were used that are both sustainable and durable enough to withstand a harsh maritime climate. The project is certified LEED Platinum and is close to reaching its goal of being the country’s largest Net Zero energy museum and an industry model for what is possible in contemporary museums.
H-E-B at Mueller is an 83,587-square-foot LEED Gold and Austin Energy Green Building 4-Stars retail store and fresh food market, including a pharmacy, café, community meeting room, outdoor gathering spaces, and fuel station. It serves 16 neighborhoods and is located in Mueller, a sustainable, mixed-use urban Austin community. Strategies include a collaborative research, goal-setting and design process; integrated chilled water HVAC and refrigeration systems; the first North American supermarket propane refrigeration system; optimized daylighting; 169 kW roof-top solar array; electric vehicle charging; all LED lighting; and reclaimed water use for landscape irrigation, toilets, and cooling tower make-up water.
Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation; Berkeley, CA / Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects
Founded on the conviction that design can help address some of society’s most pressing challenges, the Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation at UC Berkeley is devoted to introducing sustainable design innovation at the core of university life. The project provides a new interdisciplinary hub for students and teachers from across the university who work at the intersection of design and technology. It is designed as both a collaborative, project-based educational space and a symbol to the region of the University’s commitment to sustainable innovation, modelling high-density / low-carbon living and learning by reducing energy use 90% below national baseline.
Rene Cazenave Apartments; San Francisco / Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects and Saida + Sullivan Design Partners, Associated Architect
This supportive housing for formerly chronically homeless individuals replaces a former parking lot and freeway off-ramp with a high density, transit oriented, and healthy living alternative. Filtered ventilation, low emitting materials, ample daylight and views combine to aid the residents, many with mental and physical disabilities. Energy costs for the residents and non-profit owner are minimized by a combination of high efficiency lighting and hydronic heating, a continuously insulated rain-screen building envelope and a roof top solar canopy with both hot water and photovoltaic panels. Water is carefully managed by a vegetated roof, smart irrigation, a courtyard storm water tank and reclaimed water piping.
The Josey Pavilion is a multi-functional education and meeting center that supports the mission of the Dixon Water Foundation to promote healthy watersheds through sustainable land management. Traditionally livestock has caused more harm than good by overgrazing and not allowing native prairies to play their important role in habitat and watershed protection, and carbon sequestration. As a certified Living Building, the Josey Pavilion facilitates a deeper understanding of how grazing livestock as well as the built environment can work to do more good than harm. Just like the Heritage Live Oak that defines the site, the building tempers the climate and enhances visitor experience by shading the sun, blocking the wind, and providing protected views.
The J. Craig Venter Institute; San Diego / ZGF Architects LLP
This not-for-profit research institute, dedicated to the advancement of the science of genomics, was in need of a permanent West Coast home. Their commitment to environmental stewardship led to challenging the architects to design a net-zero energy laboratory building, the first in the U.S. The result is a LEED-Platinum certified, 44,607-square-foot building comprised of a wet laboratory wing and an office / dry laboratory wing surrounding a central courtyard, all above a partially below-grade parking structure for 112 cars. The holistic approach to the design revolved around energy performance, water conservation, and sustainable materials.
University of Wyoming – Visual Arts Facility; Laramie, WY / Hacker Architects and Malone Belton Able PC
The Visual Arts Facility (VAF) consolidates the fine arts program from its scattered locations throughout the campus. The building provides a teaching and learning environment that is both state-of-the-art in occupational safety and in its concern for discharge of pollutants from building. The roof area is fitted with one of the largest solar evacuated tube installations in the U.S. Heat flows from the evacuated tubes to support the hydronic radiant floors, domestic hot water, and pretreat outside air for ventilation. The building was oriented and shaped through a process of studying the sun’s interaction with interior spaces, simultaneously distributing reflected light while eliminating solar gain.
West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library; Berkeley, CA / Harley Ellis Devereaux
The new 9,500-square-foot West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library is the first certified Living Building Challenge zero net energy public library in California. The building’s energy footprint was minimized through integrated strategies for daylighting (the building is 97% daylit), natural ventilation and a high performance building envelope. An innovative wind chimney provides cross-ventilation while protecting the library interior from street noise. Renewable energy on site includes photovoltaic panels and solar thermal panels for radiant heating and cooling and domestic hot water. The library exceeds the 2030 Challenge and complies with Berkeley’s recently-enacted Climate Action Plan.
Cubo and jaja, together with VBM, Schul Landscape, Søren Jensen Engineers, and Professor Mogens Morgen of The Aarhus School of Architecture, have been selected to renew the medieval Nyborg Castle. The 15th century castle is located on the Danish island of Funen and is where Denmark’s first constitution was signed in 1282.
Courtesy of Team Cubo
The restoration and additions will include a new exhibition wing and visitor center, in addition to bridges for visitors to approach the castle on its original axis and towards an existing library. The proposed wing will be situated perpendicular to the existing royal wing and will serve as the new main entrance. Both the royal wing and the historic watchtower will be restored.
Courtesy of Team Cubo
Six international teams were selected in May 2015 to submit entries for the competition and a shortlist of three teams was announced five months later. The winning design was selected by a jury who stated that the proposed design was “a convincing and site specific architectural statement and atmosphere that emphasizes the history of the castle and its new function as a museum.”
Courtesy of Team Cubo
The castle is expected to be reopened to the public in late 2019.
From the architect. Two years after the completion of the Primary School, there was demand from more than 260 children from Gando and the surrounding region to attend the school. It quickly became apparent that an extension was badly needed to service the educational needs of these students. With overwhelming support from surrounding villages, this School Extension was built using local labor and materials.
Plan
As the Primary School was built in close conjunction with Gando community members, the building became an important identifying landmark in the region. Since the material quality and architectural expression of the building became such a strong symbol for the Gando community itself, the new extension was designed with the same principles and methods. Similarly to the Primary School, the School Extension was also built with hand-made compressed stabilized earth blocks. The ventilation strategy of pulling the hot tin roof away from the inner perforated ceiling was also used.
Unlike the Primary School, however, the ceiling of the Extension was designed as a singular vault. Rather than leaving reveals between the ceiling surface and beam elements, the monumental vault was constructed with gaps within the weave of the brick pattern of the ceiling. This ‘breathing’ surface draws cool air from the windows into the interior space and allows hot air to escape through the ventilations, all while remaining shaded and protected from damaging rains by the overhanging roof.
The School Extension was completed in 2008 and now supports an additional 120 students. The Gando School Library is currently under construction and is sited directly adjacent to the School Extension. The Library is scheduled to be ready for occupancy in 2015.
This edition of Section D, Monocle 24’s weekly review of design, architecture and craft turns its editorial gaze “back onto our own turf” to consider how to cover design and architecture, both in print and online. The episode asks whether or not “traditional magazines are as influential as they used to be, and whether clicks and online-only articles can actually pay the bills?” In search of answers, Monocle’s Henry-Rees Sheridan talks to ArchDaily’s co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, David Basulto, and European Editor-at-Large James Taylor-Foster, about the origins of the platform and some of our motivations.
You can hear the ArchDaily segment at around fifteen minutes into the show. This episode also features a discussion with editor and design consultant Katie Treggiden, along with art director and award-winning infographic designer Francesco Franchi.
It’s gone beyond simply replicating the content of a traditional print publication online and become an engine for debate, news, opinion and insight among professionals and aficionados alike.
The new city hall in Deventer unites the old historical city hall with a new city office. The new building complex is located at the ‘Grote Kerkhof’ and extends as far as the ‘Burseplein’. The 24.000 m2 large project consists of 20.000 m2 new buildings and 4.000 m2 renovation and restoration of existing listed monuments. The project consists of an entrance building with a main building behind it and unites all of Deventer’s employees, formerly divided over the city, under one new roof. It houses the city council and all municipal services and invigorates a formerly forgotten part of the inner city.
COURTS AND SQUARES The City Hall’s design seamlessly blends in with Deventer’s typical urban tradition of gardens and squares that are interconnected via alleys, lanes, pathways and gates. The building is organized around two new public squares: an open court surrounding the former mayor’s residence and a covered inner square; the building’s central hall where citizens, visitors and employees can meet one another. Adjacent to the office buildings in the Polstraat and Assenstraat two large city gardens are situated next to the neighbouring residential buildings.
At ground floor level the building creates a link between the city’s two most important squares through a new continuous route that starts at the ‘Grote Kerkhof’, continues via the open Mayor’s Court and covered central hall to the Burseplein and ends at the main ‘Brink’ square. Perpendicular to this passage is a second walking route that connects the inner city with the IJssel river shore. Both are public routes. At the first level a closed circuit has been made for City Hall staff and employees connecting all historical buildings with the new ones. This route lies around the Mayor’s Court and enables a fast connection between all functions and departments.
Plan
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT The front building at the ‘Grote Kerkhof’ consists of two layers with a sloped roof and a facade composition with strong vertical lines, like its neighbouring buildings ‘de Hereeniging’ and the old city hall. This continuity makes the front building effortlessly fit in with its historical surroundings. By placing the roof backwards a city balcony is created. This makes the facade appear more separated, creating a recognizable facade at the ‘Grote Kerkhof’.
The main building consists of three layers, like most buildings surrounding it. The tall vertical windows blend in with the architecture of the inner city and allow daylight to cast deep into the building, together with the skylight of the large hall. The main building has a roof surface consisting of alternating mansard roofs and green flat roofs, creating a skyline similar to its environment. The mansard roofs create spacious interiors in the attics. The roof terrace alongside the Mayor’s Court offers a panoramic view over Deventer’s inner city.
Elevation
FACADES AND ART Open filigree wooden frames and closed brick volumes alternate within the facades. The stone facades consist of large block masonry with protruding window frames. The bricks are multi-coloured creating a lively image. The filigree facades consist of a grid of different sized oak wood frames. The oak framework provides space to integrate contemporary art in the building’s architecture.
In collaboration with local artist Loes ten Anscher a series of aluminium grids was designed to fit within the oak framework, containing 2.264 unique fingerprints of 2.264 different citizens of Deventer. Spread out over the outer and inner facades of the building they form one large work of art. The visible presence of Deventer citizens in the facade turns the city hall into a true ‘Citizen House’.
MATERIALS AND DETAILS The city hall contains both public and private spaces that have received their own materialisation and detailing. Robust materials and sober details characterize the public spaces. The anthracite coloured natural stone floor leads the visitor from the different main and side entrances over the ground floor to all public spaces such as the central hall and the Mayor’s Court. The walls, stairs, columns and panelled ceilings are made out of concrete and finished with solid oak frames and fillings. The oak filigree facade with aluminium fingerprints is continued from the street to the interiors surrounding the court and central hall, making the interior part of the outer public space. The confined spaces are mainly situated in the main building and contain the city’s offices and back offices. Concrete and solid oak are used in combination with soft white and grey tones in the interior and furniture.
SUSTAINABILITY The Deventer City Hall is one the most sustainable public/government buildings in the Netherlands. Thanks to a clever design with tall spaces, vast amounts of daylight and air, optimized use of as many natural sources as possible, the implementation of green and multiple technical sustainable measures.
The great amount of windows, roof lights and high ceilings allow natural light to enter the building everywhere, creating an agreeable working environment and simultaneously lowering the electricity consumption. The exposed concrete inside the building contributes to a high-quality, comfortable indoor environment: the concrete stores warmth or cold in various seasons. Concrete core conditioning is also used. The shed roof construction in the public hall prevents direct sunlight from entering and overheating the building. Ventilation ducts and grids in the windows and floors let fresh air seep into the building. By transporting this heated air out of the building via the atrium, surplus heat is used in an efficient way. The use of sunlight, rainwater and water from the IJssel river (for cooling and heating) increases the building’s sustainability with 25% as opposed to similar offices in the Netherlands. The City Hall received the Dutch sustainable GPR score of 8 to 9 as well as the international qualification BREEAM ‘Excellent’.
From the architect. The project involves the recovery of an old country barn partially damaged by the earthquake. The volume of the building and its size remained invariate. The project redefines the interior spaces and the distribution system, while externally develops a dual opening system.
The main facade is almost no openings except the front door and two small windows on the first floor, while the rear façade that overlooks the countryside opens fully to the outside and the plain landscape is the background to the internal space.
The environment is characterized by the presence of disused farm buildings have been abandoned and the cultivated fields of the Modena plain. The building claims its membership to sites with a main front from the harsh nature, grumpy and unhelpful, which is opposed to a domestic and faithful interior space and a large façade that opens the endless countryside.
Sig Nordal 