Gebr. de Nobel, Leiden’s new pop temple.
Ector Hoogstad Architecten were asked to design a pop centre in Leiden within the area of a block on the 19th century ring, and to make use of as much of the monumental buildings as possible. Two new concert halls have been placed in the heart of the block - a main hall for an audience of 700 and a smaller one for 200 people. The highlight of the building is undoubtedly the main concert hall. The two halls are flanked on Marktsteeg by the historic factory building that now serves as entrance and foyer. The deep orange colour of the Corten steel used in the new façades matches the tints of the surrounding brickwork. The theme of the design, for both the interior and the exterior, is the subtle combination of two opposites: old vs. new on the one hand, and crude vs. fine on the other.