A versatile building and a harmonious fit

The new cultural centre in Doorn is not only home to the municipality of Utrechtse Heuvelrug (including all its public functions) but also houses the library, the Centre for Youth and Families, the tourist office, the music school, a grand café, ABN AMRO Bank and the local history museum.  A flexible and multi-functional building that had to fit harmoniously in a culturally and historically important place in the town centre, next to the church of St. Martin. At our client's request, we made two designs for the citizens of Doorn to choose from.  The selected design for the cultural centre offers an unobstructed view of the church, a new square that connects the church and the town hall, a clear view of the gate to the side entrance of Huis Doorn castle, and the reinstatement of a historic beech lane. It received the enthusiastic support of both our client and a large majority of the population.

Green roof

The building consists of three parts situated around a central oval space which form a coherent whole that respects the dimensions of its surroundings. A leaf-shaped copper roof, supported by larch wood pillars and trusses, caps the public lobby. The ceiling and the walls of the atrium are clad with perforated gypsum, covering a sound-absorbing layer that ensures pleasant acoustics. The remaining roofs have been planted with moss-sedum. The technical rooms have been embedded in the roof surface as technical patios.

Central public lobby

The main entrance with the common reception desk for the cultural centre is at the square opposite the church. Visitors use this entrance to enter the central public lobby that gives access to all public functions. Only the ABN AMRO branch has its own entrance at the Dorpsstraat. The rear part of the oval space also houses the library. A glass elevator and an open staircase are located centrally in the public lobby.  They give access to a gallery on the first floor that offers a wonderful and varied view of the surroundings. Below the building, there is a public car park for 79 cars with direct access to the central hall. 

Multifunctional use of space

The starting point for the interior design was that all public spaces should have multiple functions. The central hall is both entrance lobby, waiting room and library. The furniture in the library is placed on wheels, allowing the space to be used for large gatherings. The council chamber with its large glass facade serves as theatre, concert venue, cinema, wedding hall, party space and conference room.  Here too, all furniture has wheels.

Sustainability

The cultural centre's sustainability is evidenced in the multifunctional and flexible character of the building, which is also well prepared for future functional adjustments. In addition, optimal use of the existing landscape and cultural-historical elements has been an important point of focus during design. The shape of the building, with its functions surrounding the central hall, produces a favourable energy balance. This is reinforced by numerous energy-saving measures such as HR++ glass, energy-efficient lighting, cooling and heating, ventilation with heat recovery, and weather-dependent control. The sustainability of the building is further strengthened by the use of natural and low-maintenance materials, moss-sedum roofs, a grey water system and FSC certified timber.

Colophon

Location: Kerkplein 2, Doorn Client: Municipality of Utrechtse Heuvelrug Project architects: Marc Ibelings and Aat van Tilburg Total surface area: 7.230 m2 GLA Completion: March 2007