Parking garage wega.punt on the Binckhorst in The Hague has recently opened for use. Cars now park on the floors of a former office building. The perforated new façade and ramp appear self-evident, yet reuse was far from obvious at the start of the project – cepezed deliberately steered the project towards a more sustainable solution. As a result, CO₂ emissions are minimal and all interventions are reversible. If necessary, the building can be transformed back into offices in the future.
reversible
The design of Wega.punt brings together cepezed’s expertise and core principles. Instead of demolishing the old office building, we retained the existing structural frame. All new additions are reversible, should the function change again in the future. A ramp has been inserted into the existing courtyard and two additional corner volumes ensure that cars can circulate across the floors. The perforated new ‘jacket’ around the parking levels eliminates the need for mechanical ventilation while allowing daylight to enter.
ingenious
The garage provides around 400 parking spaces, intended for employees of the Police Unit headquarters located nearby (also designed by cepezed). Functions are ingeniously aligned with the existing floor plan, basement structure and foundations. The ramp circuit in the former courtyard is designed as a suspended structure supported by eight new columns. These columns pass through the basement slab to avoid placing additional load on the existing foundations – a refined technical solution developed in close collaboration with engineering consultancy IMd and structural engineer Nelissen.
graphic façade
From the street, the façade’s graphic composition immediately stands out. At ground level, black plastic panels with horizontal ribs are placed above impact-resistant ribbed washed fibre-reinforced concrete. The floors above feature a light-coloured façade with wide vertical bands of alternating porous and dense aluminium. Because the lines continue across side walls and ceilings, the ground floor and the parking levels are visually perceived as two separate volumes.
generous heights
By reusing the existing office structure, the parking levels benefit from generous floor heights. If the Police ever require additional office space, the added elements can easily be removed: everything is connected with bolts and nuts. Without the ramps, sufficient daylight would enter the courtyard for a residential or office function. Wega.punt is already sustainable because no new structure had to be built, and its long-term value is further enhanced by its exceptional reversibility and adaptability.
We designed Wega.punt for the Dutch Police and worked closely with IMd Raadgevende Ingenieurs (structural design), Nelissen Ingenieursbureau (building services, building physics and fire safety) and Ingenieursbureau Multical (cost management). DNKSTF contributed during the tender phase by exploring additional use scenarios beyond parking. Wega.punt was constructed by De Vries en Verburg.
read more about wega.punt on the project page
