OMA renew the Rijnstraat 8, in The Hague
03/06/2014.
[The Hague] The Netherlands
metalocus, INÉS LALUETA.
metalocus, INÉS LALUETA.
The ministry building, Rijnstraat 8 project, was originally designed by Jan Hoogstad in the 1980’s. The design for the transformation of the building is made by OMA. OMA developed an integrated concept in collaboration with Jan Hoogstad. It strengthens the existing architectural qualities, transforming the existing building into a modern and comfortable environment and opening the building to the public space. The base of the building will be transparent, public routes will be given a new dimension and the building will be re-connected to the city.
The design was developed in collaboration with Ector Hoogstad Architects, Wessel de Jonge Architects, YNNO, DGMR, ARUP, BAM Advies & Engineering and Valstar Simonis.
According to the schedule, the property will be completed in late 2016 and in 2017 several organisations will move in to the renovated building, namely: the ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service and the COA (central organisation for the reception of asylum seekers).
Description of the project by OMA
OMA, BAM and ISS, working as the consortium PoortCentral, have been awarded the contract for the renovation of Rijnstraat 8 - formerly the office of the VROM Ministry in The Hague.
The project, initiated by the Dutch government, will create a new lease of life for the centrally located building, accommodating the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Infrastructure and Environment, Immigration and Naturalisation Services, and the CAO (Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers).
The former VROM Ministry (Transport, Spatial Planning and Environment) will be transformed from the traditional headquarters of a single government department to flexible office spaces suitable for multiple organisations. The current government has been implementing major changes to its organisational structure; OMA's proposal caters to pressures for greater efficiency within the central government.
OMA has developed an integrated concept in collaboration with the building's original architect, Jan Hoogstad. There will be a strong focus on a renewal of the architectural qualities of Hoogstad's design. The new proposal will carefully redevelop the existing 1993 building to accommodate the demands of the contemporary political and social functions of the government ministries, bringing greater transparency and opening it up to the adjacent public space. Solid walls are replaced with glazing whilst public pathways are given greater definition, further connecting the building to the city.
The project has been established in cooperation with Ector Hoogstad Architecten, Wessel de Jonge Architecten, YNNO, DGMR, ARUP, BAM Advies & Engineering and Valstar Simonis.
The consortium, consisting of BAM PPP PGGM, BAM Utiliteitsbouw, BAM Techniek and ISS Nederland, is supported by Rabobank International and Allianz Global Investors Europe.
Text.- OMA
Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) is a leading international partnership practising architecture, urbanism, and cultural analysis. OMA's buildings and masterplans around the world insist on intelligent forms while inventing new possibilities for content and everyday use. OMA is led by eight partners – Rem Koolhaas, Reinier de Graaf, Ellen van Loon, Shohei Shigematsu, Iyad Alsaka, Chris van Duijn, Jason Long, and Managing Partner-Architect David Gianotten – and maintains offices in Rotterdam, New York, Hong Kong, Doha, and Australia.
OMA-designed buildings currently under construction are the renovation of Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) in Berlin, The Factory in Manchester, Hangzhou Prism, the CMG Times Center in Shenzhen and the Simone Veil Bridge in Bordeaux.
OMA’s completed projects include Taipei Performing Arts Centre (2022), Norra Tornen in Stockholm (2020), Axel Springer Campus in Berlin (2020), MEETT Toulouse Exhibition and Convention Centre (2020), Galleria in Gwanggyo (2020), nhow RAI Hotel in Amsterdam (2020), a new building for Brighton College (2020), and Potato Head Studios in Bali (2020). Earlier buildings include Fondazione Prada in Milan (2018), Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow (2015), Fondazione Prada in Milan (2015); G-Star Headquarters in Amsterdam (2014); Shenzhen Stock Exchange (2013); De Rotterdam (2013), CCTV Headquarters in Beijing (2012), New Court, the headquarters for Rothschild Bank in London (2011); Milstein Hall at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York (2011); and Maggie's Centre, a cancer care centre in Glasgow (2011). Earlier buildings include Casa da Música in Porto (2005), Seattle Central Library (2004), and Netherlands Embassy in Berlin (2003).