Geldermalsen Railway station

Restoration and renovation of a monumental island station

The Geldermalsen railway station building was designed and built by the State Railways and was delivered in 1989. The building is a National Monument and one of only a few so-called ‘island’ stations in The Netherlands. Ruland Architecten was commissioned by NS Stations as the architect for the restoration, renovation and redevelopment of the exterior and interior of the station building.

The building, and notably the brickwork and window frames, turned out to be in bad condition as a result of acid erosion caused by the neighbouring fruit processing industry.
Additionally, several structural alterations and adaptations over the years have partially damaged the structure and detracted from the monumental character.

Changes in usage had caused most rooms in the building to become disused and empty. The building has been restored to its original image and details as much as possible. The original roof tiles have been reused, original window frame designs have been recreated and monumental details were restored. Remarkable details are the chimneys and weather vanes, reconstructed using the original drawings and old photographs.

Historic paint colour research made it possible to restore the original colours of the woodwork of window frames and roofs. The yellow sandstone colour of the gutter boards and window frames are in accordance with the colours of the sandstone and masonry in the façade. Several minor adaptations in the facade made the building ready for further redevelopment and reuse. The roofs now incorporate skylights and in the end wall adjoining the addition, steel window frames have been installed in the façade.

Internally, the original structures, monumental rooms and details were restored. New installations and installation rooms that fit in the building were incorporated and the restoration of the end wall of the current kiosk will be faithful to the original design and detail. This makes the building suitable for several functions and combined functions like hotel and catering industry, meeting place and education. An efficient and flexible use of the building reinstates the Geldermalsen Railway station’s former distinct and distinguished position, which it had when new.

LocationGeldermalsen
Floor area1548 sq m gross floor area
Year2008 – 2012 (development planning)
2013 – 2015 (fase 1 exterior)
2016 (fase 2 interior)
StatusFase 1 & 2 completed
ClientNS Stations, Utrecht
ArchitectRuland Architects, Amsterdam
ConstructorConstructieburo de Prouw, Bunnik
Installations adviserOverdevest Adviseurs, Den Haag
Building physics adviserPeutz & Associes bv, Zoetermeer
Historic research and determination of valueArchitectenburo Verlaan & Bouwstra, Vianen
Construction cost adviserBouwkostenbureau Heijneman
Construction site managementBBA, ‘s-Hertogenbosch
ContractorBAM – Schakel en Schrale, Den Haag (fase 1)
ContractorKoninklijke Woudenberg B.V., Maastricht (fase 2)
PhotographyJannes Linders, Rotterdam

© Ruland Architecten 2024