Town hall of Zutphen

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Rau & Partners Architectenbureau , Nederland

The site of the new town hall lies in the centre of Zutphen. This is a sensitive location both from an architectural as well as urban planning point of view, as well as on account of the fact that several monuments had to be integrated within the design.

The design concept promotes an emancipated relationship between the community minded authorities and the citizens. By locating the visitor-hall into the middle of the building complex the citizens are literally given a place of central importance. Through the inclusion of the four elements of earth, water, air and warmth a natural ventilation system was being developed, whose running costs are practically negligible and which was mostly financed through subsidies.

Thomas Rau

• Client: Municipality of Zutphen
• Project: Town Hall, new construction
• Total area: 8400 m2
• Commencement of Planning: 1995
• Completion: 1999
• Architect: Thomas Rau
• Glass water column: Gera van der Leun, Rocco Marotta