Exterieur gemeentehuis buren cepezed

Buren Town Hall

clients(s)

Gemeente Buren

location

Maurik

users(s)

Gemeente Buren

The new town hall for the municipality of Buren is designed as a light and open pavilion in the park of Maurik. The building is forty per cent more compact than its predecessor and provides space both for municipal services and for residents to meet and work together. The largely glazed façades, the timber load-bearing structure and the broad canopy all around give the building an open character. A work café and a council chamber sit at its heart, beneath a remarkable timber roof structure with a diamond pattern. Thanks to the transparent façades and the waterside setting, the town hall is in direct contact with the surrounding landscape.

bio-based & circular 

The former town hall was too large, dark and outdated. cepezed therefore did not design a smaller version of the existing building, but a different type of town hall: a compact pavilion that demands less material and energy and is better matched to the scale of its activities. The new town hall is energy-neutral and has a timber load-bearing structure and floors, solar panels on the roof and a fully demountable structure. Large building components are prefabricated and can be detached and reused in the future. The building is even designed so that it can be reassembled elsewhere.

The existing town hall, designed by Alberts & Van Huut, is also given a new purpose. It is being transformed into 77 social rental apartments. Furniture from the old town hall has been inventoried in order to reuse as much as possible, refurbished where needed.

Interieur gevel raadzaal gemeentehuis buren cepezed

Exterieur gevel raadzaal gemeentehuis buren cepezed

canopy 

Large expanses of glass and high windows bring in plenty of daylight and views of the park. The horizontal lines of the façade echo the surrounding landscape. A broad canopy with an overhang of 2.70 metres runs all the way around the building. It offers shelter from sun and rain and forms a gradual transition between inside and outside. The roof fascia and the façade panels between the window frames are clad in aluminium. All around, a horizontal band of timber slats lends the building a recognisable, local identity.

Centrale ruimte gemeentehuis buren cepezed

Timber 

Timber is the most prevalent material in the interior. It is used for the load-bearing columns, the fixed furniture and the upper floors. The timber structure is combined with steel connections, which also makes it possible to suspend light fittings. The roof structure above the double-height council chamber and the adjoining work café is particularly striking. Timber beams cross one another in a diamond pattern, with skylights set between them. This structure refers to the fruit and tree cultivation of the surrounding area and makes it possible to keep the large spaces almost entirely free of columns. The so-called ‘Buren structure’ gives the town hall a character of its own. To let the timber come into its own, the rest of the interior is calm and restrained.

rivers 

cepezedinterieur designed the reception desk, the pantries and a multifunctional piece of furniture for the council chamber, among other elements. The undulating fields of colour in the carpet refer to the rivers that flow through the municipality. Two long council tables follow the curve of the carpet. Long benches are integrated into the inner side of these tables, intended for guests at a wedding ceremony, for instance. The council chamber has a fully glazed façade carrying a large image of the coat of arms of Buren, which filters view and light. A folding wall connects the council chamber to the work café. Opening it creates a single large space for gatherings. In this way the town hall can also serve as a meeting place for the community outside regular council meetings.

20261001 MG 8413 Lucasvanderwee

contact

mail bd@cepezed.nl or call our
business development team
on +31 (0)15 2150000

partners 

interior design: cepezedinterieur
landscape architecture: boschslabbers landschapsarchitecten
structural engineer: pieters bouwtechniek
building services consultant (mechanical & electrical): vintis installatieadviseurs
building physics & fire safety consultant: dgmr
main contractor: bouwbedrijf osnabrugge
timber construction: woodteq
site works: van der bijl & heierman
mechanical services contractor: gebr. janssen
electrical services contractor: nikkelen
fixed interior & joinery: rijksen speciaal timmerwerken

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