Wiel Arets

Supreme Court of the Netherlands . The Hague

Wiel Arets

The Hoge Raad der Nederlanden, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, is situated in The Hague, and appears restrained and transparent, projecting a sense of timelessness suitable to its neutral role separate from the country’s politics. Two courtrooms form the core of the project, both composed of natural stone, and around which public space is laced on the ground floor. These courtrooms are affixed with vertical voids in the form of pyramids. A third cone, composed of glass, creates an internal skylight.

The Hoge Raad der Nederlanden, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, is situated in The Hague, and appears restrained and transparent, projecting a sense of timelessness suitable to its neutral role separate from the country’s politics. Two courtrooms form the core of the project, both composed of natural stone, and around which public space is laced on the ground floor. These courtrooms are affixed with vertical voids in the form of pyramids. A third cone, composed of glass, creates an internal skylight.

Foreseen to mainly be accessed by its monumental entrance, denoted by oversized perforated aluminum finned doors, the building is also ‘directionless’ in its outward orientation. The façade is composed of a closed cavity system (CCF) consisting of insulation glass and an outer pane of glass with a curtain in between, ensuring acoustic and thermal insulation, with the curtain contributing consistent climate appropriate shading.
Transparent and translucent material qualities align with the precise programmatic requirements of both openness and seclusion. Appropriately, the vertical elements of the façade – when viewed from an angle – allow the public to perceive the building’s rigid materiality, while when viewed directly the façade allows for continuous transparent views, depending on varying daylighting conditions.
The project encompassed the design, build, finance, maintain, and operate (DBFMO) contract for this governmental building for a duration of 30 years. A consortium named ‘Hageraad’ was created for this ‘Public Private Partnership’ (PPP) competition, expanding upon the office’s extensive experience in cross-discipline collaboration, specifically that of both PPP and DBFMO projects.

Project team
Wiel Arets, Rob Willemse, Roel van der Zeeuw, Olivier Brinkman, Raymond van Sabben
Collaborators
Jochem Homminga, Jelle Homburg, Sjoerd Wilbers, Jonas Klock, Christina Lotzemer-Jentges, Ruben Perez, Danilo Brechner, Benine Dekker, Dominique Degner, Richard George, Rasmus Slot Hansen, Leonie Otten
Client
Rijksgebouwendienst, Hoge Raad der Nederlanden
Consortium partners
Brink Groep, Hillen & Roosen, Strukton Worksphere, DIF, Strukton Integrale Projecten
Consultants
Zonneveld BV, Cauberg-Huygen Raadgevende Ingenieurs BV, Huygen Installatie Adviseurs BV, FGB Facility Group

Location
Korte Voorhout
The Hague
the Netherlands
Program
Governmental, Office
Size
15.000 m2
Date of design
2011-2012