Location: Groningen, Netherlands.

Architect: ARCHIVIEW.

The Infoversum is a unique building located in Groningen that combines science, business, and cultural activities. It was designed by architect Jack van der Palen using ship-building techniques and recycled materials. The building is part of a local project that explores the potential of temporary or mobile architectural constructions. The Infoversum is designed to be a self-supporting structure with a monocoque method that allows for uninterrupted open space and an organic shape. Visitors are guided through a journey that takes them through the universe, the building’s architecture, and their own imagination. The building’s flexible design leads visitors to the dome, where they can view 3D projections on a 20-meter screen. The outer skin of the building is made up of 83 corten steel plates that will develop a rusty layer over time, changing the appearance of the building. The dome is coated white to showcase the Dutch skies. Components such as drainage, emergency doors, and cables are hidden in the skin of the building, and the windows are placed behind perforations in the steel plates. The Infoversum is the first full dome theatre in the Netherlands and is an innovative project with a focus on sustainability, leading science, culture, and architecture into a new era with its special 3D projections and 3D design.

Photo credit: Jan H. de Boer.