Atrium Leiden City Hall

Transparent awning over monumental courtyard

To improve service for citizens, OTH developed a plan to redevelop the existing courtyard into a central hall, a citizens’ hall with all service counters. This required a cover over the courtyard. Rusland Architecten, together with OTH, has designed and executed the constructie of the awning.

The awning, designed together with OTH, flows above the new central hall and follows the rhythm of this space. The flowing shape bridges and connects the differences in height between the parts of the building.

In order to achieve maximum transparency, the construction (constructor ABT Velp) has been made as slim as possible. All edges have been detailed so that from a viewpoint in the central hall the roof appears to have no edges, but instead disappears straight into the surrounding roofs and façades.

LocationLeiden
Floor area800 sq m gross floor area
Year1996 – 1999
StatusCompleted
ClientMunicipality of Leiden
ArchitectRuland Architects, Amsterdam
ConstructorABT bv, Velp
ContractorAannemingsbedrijf Du Prie, Leiden
In co-operation withOntwerpgroep Trude Hooykaas, Amsterdam
PhotographyF. Keuzekamp, Pijnacker
© Ruland Architecten 2021