Tillburg, The Netherlands
“The lecture hall is a timeless and sustainable addition to the campus architecture of Tilburg University. It breathes the atmosphere of the library and the monastery, in line with the original Modernist buildings,” states Stefan Prins, Partner Architect at Powerhouse Company.
Stefan Prins and Janneke van der Velden and their team at Powerhouse Company, together with landscape architects and urban planners EDM Tuin en Landschap and Studio Hartzema, have completed the new Tilburg University Lecture Hall—the Netherlands’ first academic building made of cross-laminated timber.
Set within a wooded landscape, the 5,000 sq m lecture hall is a nod to the 1960s grade-listed Modernist architecture of the campus, echoing its monastic atmosphere through the rhythm of the windows and the limestone façades.
The hall was built on a former parking lot. It has a 33m by 33m base and contains 14 lecture rooms, study areas, a café, and a foyer.
The building has a 9m-long wooden rib floor, 4.6km of demountable timber beams, and hanging limestone façade panels, which are not glued in place to facilitate reuse.
“Our details look simple and self-evident, but pioneering the technical junctions in collaboration with different disciplines was a challenge. This untrodden road was inspiring and taught us a lot,” says Romano van den Dool, BIM Engineer at Powerhouse Company.
The interior features a natural and warm palette of materials, the wood, stone, and plaster creating an atmosphere of domesticity and serenity.
The project subtly responds to its surrounding, each facade featuring different detailing and a window distribution in tune with its orientation.
Janneke van der Velden, an architect with the Powerhouse Company, states: “Together with our client, we upped our ambition during the design process resulting in a carbon-neutral, completely circular, and BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ design.”
Project: Tilburg University Lecture Hall
Architects: Powerhouse Company
Leading Partner: Stefan Prins
Project Leader: Janneke van der Velden
DesignTeam: Iván Guerrero, Jimenez Antónia Pohanková .Romano van den Dool, Martijn Ravia, Michiel Bosch, Sanja Kralj, Robert Cuijpers, Bjørn Andreassen, Erwin van Strien, Gert Ververs, Rafael Zarza, García Giovanni, Andrea Coni, and Jugoslav Stankin
Landscape Architects: EDM Tuin en Landschap
Urban Planners: Studio Hartzema
General Contractor: Koninklijke BAM Groep
Sustainability Advisors: Rienks Bouwmanagement
Client: Tilburg University
