New train station + office in Delft is a visual treat

Architect: Mecanoo architecten

Arriving in Delft is an unforgettable experience. From the outset, Mecanoo’s idea was to design a station that makes it clear to visitors that they have arrived in Delft. The station, in combination with municipal offices and the new city hall, sits atop a new train tunnel built in place of the old concrete viaduct that divided the city in two since 1965. Coming up the escalators, the impressive ceiling with the historic map of Delft unfolds. When you look outside, you see the city and the old station as a contemporary version of Johannes Vermeer’s painting 'View of Delft’.

Interweaving past and futureThe city of Delft reflects its past: the multitude of historic buildings and canals; the ‘Prinsenstad’ city, closely connected to the Dutch Royal Family; and, of course, the world famous Delftware ceramic factories. On the other hand, the Delft University of Technology is at the forefront of technical innovation. The character of Delft, epitomised in this combination of past and future, was the starting point for the design.

Delft Blue

A vaulted ceiling features an enormous historic 1877 map of Delft and its surroundings, connecting the station with the city hall that is currently under construction. Within the station hall, walls and columns are adorned with a contemporary re-interpretation of Delft Blue tiles. In 2017, you will be able to walk directly from the station into the city hall. The glass skin of the building is designed to reflect the Dutch skies. The panels of fused glass with lens-like spheres reference a vernacular window design that can be seen throughout the historic city. The combination and rhythm of open panels of high performance glass and closed fused glass panels enable a high degree of energy efficiency.

Contextually compact

Throughout the design process the building volume has been shaved and reformed to create a compact, highly efficient building form. The lowered roof lines at the corners provide a gradual transition towards the existing small-scale development of the Delft city centre and the adjacent Wester Quarter. The building connects the historic inner city on the east side of the railway tunnel with the residential neighbourhoods located to the west, realigning the centre of Delft. Incisions in the glass volume of the municipal office building form a pattern of alleyways and courtyards, which are themselves inspired by the intricate structure of Delft.

The station hall is a part of the first phase of the development of the station and municipal office. The first part of the flexible layout municipal offices will be in use by the end of 2015. In 2017, when the former railway viaduct has been demolished and the city hall and municipal offices completed, the whole complex will open and be in use.

Story by: Trends