Powerhouse Company revealed its design for the new Tilburg University Lecture Hall, which upon completion, will be the Netherlands’ first academic building made of cross-laminated timber. Set within a wooded landscape, the lecture hall is a nod to the 1960s grade-listed Modernist architecture of the campus, echoing its monastic atmosphere through the rhythm of the windows and the limestone façades.
With a small footprint of only 33 by 33 metres, the mass timber structure houses 14 lecture rooms, study areas and a foyer. The energy-neutral, circular project is designed for disassembly, employing a dry construction system for its 4.6 kilometres of timber beams and the limestone façade. “Our details look simple and self-evident, but pioneering the technical junctions in collaboration with different disciplines was a challenge. This untrodden road was inspiring and taught us a lot,” says Romano van den Dool, BIM Engineer at Powerhouse Company.
The lecture hall is a timeless and sustainable addition to the campus architecture of Tilburg University. It breathes the atmosphere of the library and the monastery, in line with the original Modernist buildings - Stefan Prins, Partner Architect at Powerhouse Company.
The interior features a natural and warm palette of materials, the wood, stone and plaster creating an atmosphere of domesticity and serenity. The project subtly responds to its surrounding, each facade featuring different detailing and a window distribution in tune with its orientation.
- Client: Tilburg University
- Size: 5 000 sqm
- Leading Partner:Stefan Prins
- Project leader: Janneke van der Velden
- Project team: Iván Guerrero Jimenez Antónia Pohanková Romano van den Dool Martijn Ravia Michiel Bosch Sanja Kralj Robert Cuijpers Bjørn Andreassen Erwin van Strien Gert Ververs Rafael Zarza García Giovanni Andrea Coni Jugoslav Stankin
- Landscape architect: EDM Tuin en Landschap
- Urban planning: Studio Hartzema
- Installation’s advisor: Royal Haskoning DHV
- Building physics advisor: Royal Haskoning DHV
- Contractor: Koninklijke BAM Groep
- Constructor: BREED Integrated Design
- Geotechnical advisor: Inpijn Blokpoel
- Sustainability advisor: Rienks Bouwmanagement
- Mobility advisor: Royal Haskoning DHV
- Financial advisor: Multibouwadvies
