Mayor Jan van Zanen unveils architecture plaque City Hall Utrecht
15.06.2018
Architect Dirk Jan Postel and Mayor Jan van Zanen unveil the plaque. Photo: Robert Oosterbroek
Last Wednesday, our architect Dirk Jan Postel unveiled the architecture plaque of the Utrecht Municipal Office together with Utrecht Mayor Jan van Zanen, after four years. After a number of years of patience everyone can now see who is responsible for the construction of the imposing building next to the central station.
"A unique exercise in densification at the busiest railroad track in the netherlands.
architecture shaped by light and the escape from heaviness".
The plaque can be admired on one of the pillars of the City Office under the roof of Utrecht Central Station. Four years ago the new Utrecht municipal offices were opened. It stands on a promising, but extremely complex location: partly next to and partly on top of the new station hall. One of the challenges is to make both the station hall and the municipal offices accessible from the platform above the tracks. The complexity of this design task is further increased by the planned transport hub of bus and light rail connections at ground level, and procedurally by the large number of participating parties with corresponding - conflicting - interests.
The lower floors of the city office are intended for public functions. Levels six to eleven are rectangular and connect the two office towers. The stability links are readable in the facade. The southern tower rests on only a few supports. The large scale calls for an 'urban ecology', in which each type of floor plan searches for daylight and transparency.
The interior of Stadskantoor Utrecht is designed for a modern office concept with flexible, personless workplaces. Three floors (levels 6, 11 and 21) will be designed as plazas for meetings, eating and meeting. These levels have a greater ceiling height.
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