Town hall
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.
