De Meerpaal
De Meerpaal
De Meerpaal
Renovation of an icon of twentieth century architecture
Van Klingeren's icon
De Meerpaal is the built manifesto with which architect Frank van Klingeren took a stand against Modernism's far-reaching separation of functions in 1967. He not only brought various activities together in one building, but also deliberately refrained from separating them within that building; above all else, his Meerpaal was “an instrument where anything could happen” - from volleyball matches to church services, from anti-discrimination fair to TV broadcast - and a heart for the new city of Dronten. In practice, this set-up unfortunately only lasted for a short time; after an earlier renovation in 1987, in which the open character of the building largely disappeared, the Dronten City Council decided to demolish the Meerpaal in the late nineties, because the complex would no longer meet the requirements of the time.
Demolition vs. prominent protest
The decision to demolish did not go down well with the residents, who felt that 'their' Meerpaal was being deprived of them. The decision of the city council also led to protests from the architectural world and from the then Minister of VROM, Jan Pronk. In consultation with the government architect, a tender was therefore issued for a new Meerpaal as a theater/music school with creativity spaces and a meeting center, keeping the possibility of retaining the existing building open.
'The Meerpaal back to the residents of Dronten'
The winning design, by atelier PRO, assumed renovation and partial new construction instead of demolition. In this way, the Meerpaal remained traceable as a logo of Dutch architecture from the second half of the twentieth century, although adapted to the current urban situation and focused on today's use. The renewed Meerpaal includes space for a library, a music school, a theater and a cinema; what has always remained is its function as a meeting place, as the heart of Dronten.
'An example of cultural-historical awareness'
The integration of functions was also the central starting point in the design of atelier PRO — but in such a way that those functions do not interfere with each other. Characteristic elements of Van Klingeren's design have been made visible again: the glass box, the roof supported by six steel columns and the 'egg', the oval volume of the former theatre. This oval volume is now a closed cinema with a terrace on top that connects the various functions within the building via footbridges, like a junction. New additions, such as the theater, the music school and the library, stand - entirely in the spirit of the original building - as separate blocks around the covered and slightly sunken courtyard. As usual, Van Klingeren's maintained roof ensures visual unity and coherence. In terms of urban planning, the complex and the original square have been merged into one; the new covered square has a glass wall that can be opened when the weather is nice.
New buildings, such as the theater, the music school and the library, stand - entirely in the spirit of the original building - as separate blocks around the covered and slightly sunken courtyard. As usual, Van Klingeren's maintained roof ensures visual unity and coherence.
The sustainability measures in this project led to an average GPR score of 8.1
