On Thursday February 7th mayor Arnoud Rodenburg symbolically handed the key of the new town hall of Midden-Delfland to HRH Princess Margriet, thereby officially opening the building. The carbon-neutral town hall – amongst the most sustainable government buildings in the Netherlands – underscores the distinct open character of Midden-Delfland in the Randstad Metropolitan Area.
The Landscape: source of both inspiration and landscape
Throughout all levels of the design – from the urban plan to the design of the council table – Inbo architects Arnold Homan and Jeroen Simons were inspired by the core value of Midden-Delfland: green leisurely character and the high quality of life. Five transparent wings reflect the typical allotment of the surrounding meadow landscape. A monumental reed/sedum roof has been folded over these wings, providing the building with its distinct shape. The building is carefully dressed against the peat dike, making good use of the elevation to center all its public functions on the middle floor. The design hence not only perfectly addresses its concept of service, it also strikes a visual relation between the building and the surrounding landscape. The high level of transparency provides the building with the pleasant and inviting character of a visitor centre. The PV-panels integrated in the facades and roof provide a renewable source of energy while at the same time providing shading. The building is air conditioned using an underground thermal-storage system. By choosing modest materials and colors for the interior design the building interacts with the surrounding landscape.
Iconic for Midden-Delfland
The grand opening was preceded by a symposium on the meaning and future of the green landscape of Midden-Delfland in the urbanized South Wing of the Randstad. Mr. Walter Kooy, director of Groenfonds (Green Fund), spoke about new opportunities for the open landscape in an urban context. In analogy with the iconographic significance of the Eiffel Tower for Paris he highlighted the significance of the new town hall of Midden Delfland for its own landscape.
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