Snøhetta and Benthem Crouwel Architects design Dutch city hall with "powerful silhouette"

Architecture studios Snøhetta and Benthem Crouwel Architects are designing the House of Culture and Administration, a city hall in the Netherlands that will have swooping roofs and full-height openings.

Designed as part of a redevelopment of the city of Delfzijl, the House of Culture and Administration will also contain a theatre and a library.

The complex will be distinguished by its large sweeping roofs, designed by Snøhetta and Benthem Crouwel Architects to stand out "against the sky".

"The House of Culture and Administration feels like a natural part of Delfzijl," said Benthem Crouwel Architects partner Saartje van der Made.

"The soft curve of the facade embraces Molenbergplein, while the building adapts to the existing street pattern on the other side," Van der Made added.

"In the roofline, a rhythmic movement emerges that builds like a piece of music: undulating and culminating in a powerful silhouette that stands out against the sky."

Renders of the House of Culture and Administration reveal curving facades, which will be clad with angled panels to frame different-sized glazed openings.

Fronting the building will be a large brick-paved plaza where steps and ramps lead up to the entrance and double as outdoor seating.

Details about the individual designs of the city hall, theatre and library are yet to be revealed, but the library is expected to sit at the heart of the complex.

The studios said the House of Culture and Administration is hoped to welcome visitors from across Delfzijl and the wider region, while also serving as a venue for regional and international conferences.

"Our most important goal has always been to design a building together – a building that works for everyone," said Snøhetta project leader Kathleen Cayetano.

"We approached this with care, listening and working closely with our core team, cultural partners, and the community throughout the entire process."

Elsewhere, Snøhetta has recently added a trio of buildings to a railway site in Belgium and revealed videos of its Shanghai Grand Opera House, which features a dramatic spiral staircase.

The renders are courtesy of Snøhetta.

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