Art and Culture building Haarlemmermeer

In 2006 Kraaijvanger was committed to the design of the new Culture Building in Hoofddorp, a Dutch town under the radar of Schiphol Airport. The new Culture Building is an important step in the development of the new cultural heart of Hoofddorp. The city centre emerged one of the largest concentrations of culture in the Netherlands: a theatre, a pop stage, a centre for art education and a central library. The aim was to create an open, attractive and inviting centre and an inspiring environment for arts and culture in the widest sense of the word. Bringing four different organizations together under one roof should also lead to new collaborations. The complex should be able to facilitate this, but at the same time it should leave enough space for the individual organizations to express themselves and be recognized as a independent entity with their very own image.

The four organizations are brought together under one undulating roof, connected by little streets, gangways and squares. The resulting internal streets and patios connect the various cultural activities with one another. The layout of the complex and the individual designed building was influenced by the fact that parts of two existing buildings (the theatre and the centre for art education) had to be kept, reconstructed and extended. The central library and the pop stage had required new development. The transparent façade at the central square and the multiple entrances on all sides make the building open and easy accessible.The square can be used for outdoor cultural activities and has been seamlessly integrated into the existing rectangular urban grid, making the centre a natural part of daily life in Hoofddorp.