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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. State Office Building (Rijkskantoor) De Knoop in Utrecht, The Netherlands by cepezedFebruary 20th, 2019 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: cepezed The state office building De Knoop was officially opened. Annet Bertram, general director Central Real Estate Agency, Ruud Peters, directorr bcfd, Debbie van Noort, director Strukton Integrale Projecten and Piet Brittijn, project director Ballast Nedam performed the opening act in presence of Jaap Uijlenbroek, general director belastingdienst, ans Gennissen, chairman of the General Management Faciliom Group, Mariska Plomp, director SSO CFD en historian Herman Pleij. The conversion of the former Lieutenant General Knoopkazerne into a modern office building and conference center for civil servants was realized within a 20-year Design, Build, Finance, Maintain & Operate (DBFMO) contract from the Central Government Real Estate Agency (RVB) by consortium R Creators. The architectural design is by cepezed.  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee
 Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee
 Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee The existing building from the late 1980s was dated, had a compelling structure and a closed character. Parts have been demolished, while the remaining parts have undergone a large-scale transformation and have been combined with new construction. In addition to a large area of office functions for various government departments with very diverse and stringent security requirements, the program includes a comprehensive, flexibly usable and subdivisable conference and meeting center for the national government. The Knoopkazerne in the center of Utrecht dates from 1989 and served for decades as headquarters for the Royal Netherlands Army. The building has now been radically transformed into a combined office and meeting center for the national government. Commissioned by the consortium R Creators with Strukton, Ballast Nedam and Facilicom, cepezed produced the architectural design. Fokkema & Partners Architects was involved for the interior design and Rijnboutt for the urban design component.  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee The original complex was characterized by a pronounced multitude of volumes with varying heights and floor dimensions as well as meandering façades with a smoke glass sun-blind. In the redevelopment designed by cepezed, drastic changes have been combined with partial demolition, new-build expansion and a completely new urban embedding over multiple height levels. A lively, transparent and double-height plinth will include general functions such as the entrance zone, a café, restaurant and landing work places.  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee The existing construction of twelve storeys houses all office functions, with the characteristic octagonal concrete columns being left in sight. Removal of the many inner walls has resulted in more light, air, openness and transparency. Hybrid ceiling islands specially engineered for the project in existing buildings mean that no lowered ceilings are needed and that maximum spatiality is created despite the limited floor height. The meeting centre is located in an extension with eight high storeys. The new and existing buildings unite in a transparent atrium and a transport zone with elevators and stairs. In the conference centre, pausing areas and guest workspaces are located adjacent to and in open connection with the atrium. For a pleasant quiescence, the meeting rooms are more remote from the atrium. The complex has a taut outer skin with vertical articulation that binds the different parts together into one whole. In this way, inlets in the original building contour will form voids that contribute to the internal spatial quality.  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee Sustainability is very important and is achieved through, among other things, an optimal reuse of the existing building, a high degree of flexibility, natural ventilation and, for example, the use of triple glazing, approved materials and a partly green roof. A large surface of solar panels, use of the cumulative mass of the existing concrete construction and an energy system based on recirculation and heat recovery are, just like automatic presence detection for the light and CO2-measurement for climate control, important additional aspects.  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Lucas van der Wee  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Leon van Woerkom  Image Courtesy © cepezed | Leon van Woerkom  Image Courtesy © cepezed  Image Courtesy © cepezed  Image Courtesy © cepezed  Image Courtesy © cepezed  Image Courtesy © cepezed  Image Courtesy © cepezed
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Tags: The Netherlands, Utrecht Categories: Cafe, Office Building, office Complex, Office space, Offices, Restaurant |
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