Location: Arnhem, Netherlands.

Architect: De Zwarte Hond.

The Klarendal multifunctional accommodation is a lively and flexible building located on the site of a former military barracks in Arnhem. It offers a wide range of facilities, including a health centre, day-care centre, primary school, local shop, community centre, dance hall, kickboxing school, a NOC-NSF certified sports centre, and various offices and commercial premises. The building’s design creates a new combination with the two existing barracks buildings, lending a new significance to the former military complex. The future users were involved in the design process right from the beginning, resulting in an airy, multifunctional ‘street’ along which the various users are located, offering space for interchange and interaction. The classrooms feature higher ceilings as part of the school’s ambition of achieving a ‘fresh school class 2’ rating. The building’s flexibility and usability are enhanced by its high rooms and long spans. The end of the building clearly shows off the contours of the roof, which incorporates the skylights of the central street. The balconies at the end of the central street and the entrances along the local square have been accentuated by deep reveals. The pale colour of the bricks and the special details of the masonry make for a modern building in this historic location.

Photo credit: Daria Scagliola, Stijn Brakkee.