Town Hall in Den Helder

Office Winhov and Van Hoogevest Architecten have converted two former wharf buildings into a town hall, while respecting the existing structures. The town hall of the small Dutch town of Den Helder has moved into two buildings in the former shipyard, each with a completely different character.

The historic masonry facade of the mast shed has been largely left untouched. © Stefan Müller

The first building – Building 66 – is a 19th century former mast shed, a single-storey brick building with four hipped roofs and an extensive roof structure. It houses all the public functions of the town hall. The architects left the historic structure largely untouched, only adding windows in the roof and facade to provide better lighting for the interior. They based the layout on the existing wooden roof structure, which divides the square into four adjoining halls. One of these halls, with the exception of the reception and waiting area, is kept free of fixtures and connects the two entrances as an internal street.

The large entrance hall is open to the public. © Max Hart Nibbrig

The design of the partition walls and fixtures is based on the historic supervisor's cabin, which used to be located in one corner of the building. The architects developed a cladding of wooden slats based on the cabin's walls of grey-green wooden panels and delicate lattice windows. This cladding serves as a consistent design element throughout the building, varying in colour only in the council chamber and the wedding hall.

The wedding hall is decorated in violet. © Max Hart Nibbrig

The administrative offices are grouped around the centre. © Max Hart Nibbrig

The second building – Building 72 – was a sail-making facility built in 1949. It now houses the municipal offices. As the salty air had caused the facades to deteriorate, the building was stripped down to its distinctive reinforced concrete skeleton and given new facades in dark red aluminium. The ceilings in the centre of the building were opened up to create an atrium extending over all three floors. Meeting rooms, kitchenettes and the open main staircase are arranged around the atrium. 

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