MVRDV and developer Provast has revealed plans for a two new mixed-use residential towers in The Hague that will add over 500 new apartments to the city’s Central Business District. Located on Grotiusplaats adjacent to the National Library and near the city’s Central Station, the “Grotius Towers” will offer 61,800 m² of residential and commercial space to service the needs of The Hague’s growing downtown core.
The towers’ design reacts to the typical tower typology found in the Hague by focusing on high-quality details, a subtle facade, a ‘soft’ landing on the street and a ‘crown’ of large outdoor spaces. Inside, a mix of social housing and private accommodations will ensure the buildings are inhabited by a diverse community, while their ground-floor commercial plinths will make the complex a destination for shopping, dining and socializing.
The buildings will be located along the soon-to-be-realized Grotiushof public park, which will cover the adjacent motorway to connect city center to northern neighborhoods. Proximity to several public transit options will allow residents to reduce their dependence on automotive use, though the development will include access to parking.
“The CBD of The Hague has few open plots left,” explains MVRDV co-founder Winy Maas. “Our site is ready for densification because a section of inner city motorway will be covered. The project will add critical mass to a currently underused neighbourhood that lacks life at a location that was so far never considered for homes, yet that will provide for a truly urban lifestyle and – from the tenth floor onwards – fabulous views onto the sea towards the north and the skyline of Rotterdam towards the south.”
The design of each tower is informed by the “Haagse Toren” guidelines stipulated by the community, which mandates the delineation of a base, body and crown.
"The shape of both towers are the results of a study of the optimised connection to the context, formed by the lines of view to the National Library and newly established routes in the neighbourhood,” explain the architects in a press release. “The façade of both towers will be executed in natural stone with their base consisting of a colour gradient changing from beige to darker hues, and larger windows and specific detailing for a ‘soft’ landing at street level.”
At the peak of the building, a crown of wood-clad terraces will provide green outdoor spaces for residents. Grotius I will rise as a long and slender volume with an elongated façade forming the wall for Grotiushof, while Grotius II will retain a more compact profile to optimize the connection between the block and street.
Apartment units will feature extra-large windows offering generous natural light and views of the city and sheltered outdoor spaces. Balconies in the lower floor units are completely sheltered, providing increased privacy for residents close to street level.
MVRDV and Provast have previously collaborated on the Markthal Rotterdam, the Netherlands’ first indoor food and retail market. The Grotius Towers will continue in that spirit, carrying out The Hague’s citywide strategy to densify and repopulate the city center and areas east of the central station.
The project is expected to begin construction in 2018.
