Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects

Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Exterior Photography, Windows, FacadeStationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Exterior Photography, Windows, FacadeStationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Interior Photography, TableStationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Interior Photography, Stairs, Shelving, Beam, WindowsStationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - More Images+ 40

  • Kcap Architects: Kasper Hauschultz Hansen, Joost Esschendal, Bart Rijper, Yoanna Shivarova, Wim Haasnoot, Yizhe Guo, Frank Aarssen, Martijn Voskamp, Michaël van der Kraan, Byoung Woo Kim, Gert-Jan Schram
  • Kraaijvanger Architects: Dirk Jan Postel, Chantal Vos, Linda Brouwer, Edward Timmermans, David Kooymans, Elena Khasianova, Eveline Withagen, Sharmila Nasheed, Bart van der Werf, Anne Ketelaar
  • City: The Hague
  • Country: The Netherlands
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Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade
© Ossip van Duivenbode

Text description provided by the architects. KCAP and Kraaijvanger Architects transformed the Stationspostgebouw, a former postal sorting center next to the Hollands Spoor train station in The Hague, into a sustainable and social work environment for the 21st century while respecting the original architecture. Conceived as the most prominent building along the rail, it has always been a landmark for and within the city of The Hague.

Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade
© Ossip van Duivenbode
Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Interior Photography, Kitchen
© Ossip van Duivenbode
Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Image 31 of 45
Ground Floor Plan

One of the transformation’s key results is increased daylight access, achieved by modifying the facade and inserting videos. Because of its status as a monument, however, it was not possible to make major structural changes. An additional challenge was to renovate the building in such a way as to bring back the monumental character. Therefore, the restoration concept focused on the main load-bearing structure, keeping the existing beams and columns intact. Especially since the Stationspostgebouw is one of the first examples of the use of prefab concrete columns in the world.

Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Interior Photography, Kitchen, Beam
© Ossip van Duivenbode
Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Image 39 of 45
Section
Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Interior Photography, Kitchen
© Ossip van Duivenbode

The Stationspostgebouw also had to meet the most ambitious sustainability requirements. It has been redesigned according to WELL and BREEAM standards and is the first national monument to be certified with the highest achievable energy label ‘A’ in the Netherlands. A glass 'second skin' on the building’s inside provides an almost invisible layer of insulation. This solution saves a considerable amount of energy, helps to reduce noise from road and rail traffic, and is supported by further energy-saving measures. In line with circular economy principles, existing materials are re-used wherever possible.

Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Interior Photography, Kitchen
© Ossip van Duivenbode
Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Interior Photography
© Ossip van Duivenbode

The glass block windows, combined with skylights, originally provided the building with ample light. However, due to the depth of the floors, this proved insufficient for a modern office environment. To increase the amount of daylight on the lower floors, KCAP inserted videos throughout the building. These staggered vides, at times wide and at times narrow, create a lively interplay between single-height and double-height floors, resulting in an impressive atrium that opens up the building and makes people ‘see and be seen’ - the new office's vibrant heart.

Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Exterior Photography, Windows, Table, Chair, Facade
© Ossip van Duivenbode
Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Interior Photography, Stairs, Shelving, Beam, Windows
© Ossip van Duivenbode

The upper floors have a flexible set-up, which allows a variety of workplace concepts to be offered and arranged according to different users’ needs. Efficient floor plans and innovative technical features also allow for flexibility in the future. “Crucial to the transformation is creating an office building for a new way of working, making the work environment feel like a living room: widely usable, but also secure”, says Irma van Oort, partner at KCAP. These informal routes help people to get together but also to explore the space by individual means, fostering a pleasant, spontaneous atmosphere.

Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Interior Photography
© Ossip van Duivenbode
Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Interior Photography
© Ossip van Duivenbode

The interior design by Kraaijvanger Architects responds to the need for a new way of working. “The spatial layout and atmosphere of the monumental building are unique: the glass blocks facade, the deep floor areas, and the powerful structural features. Together with KCAP's bold intervention to open up the concrete floors, these qualities have been leading in the mapping of the interior’s different areas”, says Chantal Vos, associate partner at Kraaijvanger Architects.

Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade
© Ossip van Duivenbode

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Project location

Address:The Hague, The Netherlands

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About this office
Cite: "Stationspostgebouw Renovation / KCAP + Kraaijvanger Architects" 19 Feb 2023. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/996586/stationspostgebouw-renovation-kcap-architects-and-planners-plus-kraaijvanger-architects> ISSN 0719-8884

© Ossip van Duivenbode

海牙地标改造,打开搂地面和屋顶 / KCAP Architects & Planners + Kraaijvanger Architects

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