Leiden University Academy Building
Leiden University Academy Building
Leiden University Academy Building
Restauratie van een Rijksmonumentaal prestigeproject
A unique collection of national monuments
The Academy Building consists of a collection of national monuments from different periods. The building ensemble is located on the Rapenburg, from numbers 67 to 73. The main building at Rapenburg 73 is a Dominican chapel from 1516 and became a university in 1581; in 1616, the building was expanded and made more suitable for education; in 1670, the tower was added by the master builder Willen van der Helm; and in 1733, the main building received a beautiful Senate Chamber. Rapenburg 71 is a broad house from around 1750, with part of the old wall of the Academy Building from 1613. Rapenburg 67 is an impressive wide pavilion house from 1760 with a wide cornice. The ensemble of buildings was extensively restored by Jacobus van Lokhorst between 1878 and 1906, giving the main building a neo-Gothic appearance.
Improved routing through the complex
Previously, routing through the building complex was a problem, with dead ends and the absence of an elevator. Now visitors find their way through the monumental corridors in a logical way - from the reception in the vault room to the ceremonies in, for example, the Grand Auditorium and afterwards to the reception areas. To improve routing, a new staircase was designed in the neo-Gothic part, at the end of the corridor. The adjacent alley has been converted into a transparent space and, together with the new staircase, now forms a connection between the neo-Gothic part and the reception areas, and between the ground floor and the first floor.
The covered courtyard as the central heart
Another prominent improvement is the courtyard's glass canopy.
This room serves as an outlet for the adjacent reception area, but also has a central role for the left part of the Academy Building. On the upper floor of the neo-Gothic part, a large Toga Room has been set up in a former lecture hall, with beautiful glass cabinets for the professors' hundreds of togas, which also serves as a meeting place and is part of the museum route.
Today's University: the Faculty Club
During construction, the Faculty Club, the University's meeting place, was also added to the program. The restaurant, kitchen, lounge and various stylish meeting rooms are located around a courtyard in the right part of the Academy Building. The building also houses the Academic History Museum, which runs through the historic complex like a museum — with modern showcases to display the collection. In addition, in the interior, we have focused on ensuring that visitors experience more unity — something this museum route certainly plays a role in.
Contemporary and old in a balanced contrast
After extensive color historical research, all rooms and facades were restored to the situation before 1878. For the other spaces, a palette of old Dutch colors was chosen that match the monumental character of the building. The new interventions are visibly contemporary and the new furniture also forms a modern contrast to the existing historic building. Together, old and new form an allure unity that does justice to the monument and the University's ambitions.
At the opening by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix, a bronze relief sculpture was unveiled depicting William of Orange giving the city of Leiden a university in 1575.
