Apeldoorn, The Netherlands

Winy Maas of MVRDV, in consultation with Herman Hertzberger’s office AHH, has unveiled plans to transform Herman Hertzberger’s 1970s Centraal Beheer building in the Netherlands, respectfully preserving its structure and making it the centerpiece of a sustainable, green residential neighborhood that echoes the design principles of the existing building.

Commissioned by Certitudo Capital, the transformation is part of a larger area vision for the three-hectare site near the city’s train station, with MVRDV’s design prioritizing heritage preservation, greening, and innovation and introducing approximately 650-800 homes.

The Centraal Beheer building was a revolution in office design when it opened in 1972. 

Hertzberger’s design consists of four quadrants, divided by two central “streets” that form the social heart of the building. 

By consistently repeating and adjusting the basic element, a 9-meter cube, the building acquired its distinctive form and remarkable interior. Half a century later, the building enjoys worldwide fame among architects and architecture historians.

The main scope of MVRDV is to preserve the structure, which was designed by Dutch architect Hertzberger and completed in 1972, while adding timber additions to create the homes.

Hertzberger’s Centraal Beheer building was originally designed as an office for an insurance company and is widely recognized as an iconic example of structuralism.

The building’s transformation is designed as part of a larger area masterplan for the three-hectare site near the city’s train station.

“The axes of the central streets within the building will not only be a place for Apeldoorners to meet, but they will also become a part of the most important routes through the area, better connecting the building with the city and the station and reinforcing Hertzberger’s original design vision,” states MVRDV. 

“The project’s goal is not only to create as diverse a housing supply as possible but also to turn the building into a destination complete with public programming, making the park an attractive place to visit,” they add.

Winy Mass, founding partner of MVRDV says, “it’s a super cool assignment. Herman Hertzberger is an important role model for me. When I was studying at the Delft University of Technology, he was one of my professors, along with Aldo van Eyck and Rem Koolhaas – a fine trio. I worked with him twice on InDeSem, the International Design Seminar he organized.”

“His social agenda makes him an inspiring architect to me, and I feel a kinship with him; just as Herman launched a totally new office landscape in the early seventies, MVRDV did the same in the early nineties with the Villa VPRO. We toured the client through the Central Beheer building and it opened their minds; it became an inspiration for our own work. We will certainly retain it as the basis for the transformation,” he adds.

According to MVRDV, the original structure of Hertzberger’s Centraal Beheer will be continued in the new neighborhood and the new landscape.

The new plans will mimic the tessellated design by creating new wooden buildings that build on the existing nine-meter-grid system and the extra volumes will be differentiated from the original structure by their wooden construction, identifying the new from the old.

The surroundings of the residential development will be landscaped to include a gridded design, incorporating trees, communal areas, and sports facilities.

Just as structuralism is often characterized by the repetition of small units, the structure of Centraal Beheer will be continued in the new neighborhood and the new landscape. 

The design of the new buildings will be based on the 9-meter grid of the existing building, but built in wood to distinguish them from the original parts of the design. 
The old building will be revived with new programs and architectural elements, fulfilling the structuralist principles that it was originally built upon. 

The landscape will also have a clear pattern based on the grid, within which a “wilder” infill with trees, grasses, water, and play and sports facilities can be incorporated. 

In the following phases, a study will be conducted into which tree species can best be added to the park in order to stimulate biodiversity.

“The project’s goal is not only to create as diverse a housing supply as possible but also to turn the building into a destination complete with public programming, making the park an attractive place to visit,” explains MVRDV.

Project: Centraal Beheer Transformation
Architects: MVRDV with AHH
Partner in Charge: Winy Maas
Original Architect: Herman Hertzberger (1972)
Client: Certitudo Capital Group B.V.
Photographers: Willem Diepraam, Luchtfotografie, and Certitudo Capital