first step for buren’s municipal pavilion

Now that all the drawings are complete and all calculations have been made, the first pile has been driven for Buren’s new town hall. It will be a welcoming wooden pavilion by the water, set within a Maurik park. Construction is expected to take just one year.

distinctive diamond pattern
The new town hall will be bright and open, thanks to its glass façades and tall windows on the upper floor. The all-round canopy with a broad cornice truly gives it the character of a pavilion. At the heart of the building is a double-height work café, with office spaces for civil servants arranged around it on the upper floor, designed according to the principles of ‘new ways of working’. The roof of the staff café extends seamlessly into that of the also double-height council chamber. The roof beams form a distinctive diamond pattern with skylights, featuring progressively smaller diamonds towards the edges.

small environmental footprint
While the current town hall is not up to date in terms of building systems, the new building will have a minimal environmental footprint. This is partly due to its compact size, the solar panels on the roof, the demountable construction, and the use of a wooden load-bearing structure and floor panels. Furniture from the existing town hall will be reused wherever possible. cepezedinterieur has designed a new reception desk, pantries, and a multifunctional piece of furniture for the council chamber. The wavy colour patterns of the carpet in the council chamber reference the rivers that flow through the municipality.

community participation
In an extensive participatory process involving a sounding board group, local residents and other citizens of Buren were able to provide input on the architecture, identity elements, and landscaping of the site. At the final meeting, Alderman Karl Maier thanked them for their engagement and summed up the essence of the new building as ‘an accessible town hall with a fresh approach to public service.’

construction
The main contractor is Bouwbedrijf Osnabrugge B.V. from Scherpenzeel. Groundwork was carried out by Van der Bijl & Heierman B.V. from Opheusden. Gebr. Janssen from Beugen and Nikkelen from Groesbeek are responsible for the technical installations, while the fixed interior is being made by Rijksen Speciaal Timmerwerken from Maurik. We remain involved in the aesthetic supervision and, together with the builders, installers, and citizens of Buren, look forward to the completion of the project.