Following protests from local inhabitants opposed to a new town hall,
De Zwarte Hond architects opted to retain the traditionalist 1954 town
hall building and to supplement it with a new wing. The large glazed
pavillion makes a discreet impression, partly because of its below-grade
placement against an excavated dune, and the green image conveyed by
the sedum roof.
The L-shaped extension consists of a single-storey corridor which
connects the existing building with the new, two-storey wing. This high
section stands at right angles to the corridor, thereby generating a
courtyard area between old and new buildings. The corridor is partly
hidden behind the higher ground of the semi-closed space between the two
sections. The roof plane of the higher volume is partially covered with
solar panels and forms an awning on the courtyard side.
The minimal steel construction and the light concrete floor elements
deliver transparency and make it possible to still see the dune
landscape behind the building from the road. In the two-level office
wing, the open office principle was applied, with glass partitioning
printed with an abstract representation of a dune landscape.
Walking around the pavillion, the two floors appear to be the same
height, thanks to their placement on top of a brick podium. However,
viewed from the courtyard, the non-parallel, diagonal tie rods in the
entrance hall immediately betray the fact that the building is dug into
the landscape.
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