Architecture studio Office Winhov has transformed the industrial structures of two former shipyard buildings into a city hall in Den Helder, the Netherlands.
Located at the tip of the North Holland peninsula, the shipyard site dates back to the era of Napoleon in the early 19th century. It fell into disuse after the Royal Dutch Navy's departure in 1990.
Office Winhov's creation of the City Hall aims to better connect the formerly isolated site to Den Helder while celebrating and protecting its maritime heritage.
Office Winhov has converted a pair of maritime structures into Den Helder City Hall. Photo by Stefan Mu?ller
"By relocating Den Helder's City Hall to this site, the municipality not only reestablishes its connection with the city, but the adaptive reuse also safeguards the maritime and naval heritage, cherished by its citizens," the studio told Dezeen. The project occupies two buildings on either side of a large square ? a brick and timber mast shed and a concrete-framed block that was formerly a sail-making facility.
Rather than overhaul these two contrasting buildings, Office Winhov was guided by their existing structures and layouts for the design, "preserving the integrity" of the site, it said.
One of the buildings is a concrete-framed block
"The preservation of the existing buildings, the presence of the construction and materials and the daily use of the buildings on the yard are important 'gestures' in the project," explained th...