Regiocentrale Zuid Maasbracht, Dutch Levee Control Headquarters, Wiel Arets Building

Regiocentrale Zuid, Holland : Maasbracht Building

Regiocentrale Zuid Building, The Netherlands design by Wiel Arets Architects (WAA)

27 Feb 2012

Regiocentrale Zuid Maasbracht Building

Desing: Wiel Arets Architects (WAA)

photograph : Jan Bitter

Wiel Arets Architects continue construction on ‘Regiocentrale Zuid’ in Maasbracht, the Netherlands

Regiocentrale Zuid is a levee control headquarters for a large section of the river Meuse that will bring formerly scattered water management locations together under one roof.

photograph : Jan Bitter

Regiocentrale Zuid will serve as a water and levee coordination centre for a section of the river Meuse–a water body serving vital purposes at both the European and global scales. Next to being an important transport route for inland shipping, the river’s banks accommodate agriculture, wildlife, and recreational activities. The river’s water is used for drinking, as well as industrial processes – such as cooling – while its summer bed is an important source of sand and gravel.

photographs : Jan Bitter

Forming the base of a long-term water management strategy within the Netherlands, Regiocentrale Zuid will direct bridges and sluices between Maastricht and Venlo. Alongside the mechanical instrumentation, a lobby, nautical training centre, and public educational facilities have also been incorporated. The polygonal volume, with its cantilevered rounded corners, is largely defined by the central operational and working spaces, while an inner void shapes the core. Prominent positioning corresponds to this multiplicity of functions, and the site’s contours.

photographs : Jan Bitter

As the facility is required to operate seven days a week, 24 hours a day, privacy measures and residential qualities have been incorporated into the design; translucent curtains anticipate changing acoustics, lighting, and viewing conditions. A roof terrace offers a panoramic view of the vast surroundings, compensating for the absence of an immediate ground garden.

photographs : Jan Bitter

Regiocentrale Zuid images / information from Wiel Arets Architects

Previously:

16 Jun 2011

Regiocentrale Zuid Maasbracht

Wiel Arets Architects continue construction on ‘Regiocentrale Zuid’ in Maasbracht, the Netherlands

photographs : Wiel Arets Architects

Regiocentrale Zuid is situated on the river Meuse, a body of water that serves many different purposes at the European and global scales. Next to being an important transport route for inland shipping, the river’s banks accommodate agriculture, wildlife and recreational activities.

The water that flows through the Meuse is used for drinking and industrial processes – such as cooling – while its summer bed is an important source of sand and gravel. In the event of a possible flood, all precautions must be taken. The Regiocentrale Zuid project combines the coordination of all levees on this section of the Meuse, housing them for the first time in one location, in an effort to effectively procure water management.

This water management headquarters, from which barges, bridges and sluices between Maastricht and Venlo are to be directed, will form the base of a long-term water management strategy plan within the Netherlands. The building’s prominent position corresponds to its multiple functions. Besides mechanical instrumentation, a lobby, nautical training centre and public educational facilities are also incorporated in the design.

The polygonal volume, with its rounded corners hovering over the water, is derived from a centrally located operational and working space. An inner void that fills with water will define the core of the building. Within this void, the water level will climb and fall according to the height of the water level in the sluices.

Given that the facility is required to operate 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, privacy measures and residential qualities have been incorporated into the building’s design. Blackout curtains anticipate changing acoustic, lighting and viewing conditions. A roof terrace offers a panoramic view of the vast surroundings, compensating for the absence of an immediate ground garden.

photographs : Wiel Arets Architects

Regiocentrale Zuid – Building Information

Type: Municipal/Control centre for water management
Location: Maasbracht, the Netherlands
Date of Design: 2009-10
Status: Under Construction
Expected Completion: Summer 2012
Total Area: 1,850 sqm
Budget: Undisclosed
Client: Rijkswaterstaat Maaswerken
Architect: Wiel Arets
Project Team: Bettina Kraus, Julius Klatte, Rob Willemse
Collaborators: Jochem Homminga, Harold Hermans

Regiocentrale Zuid images / information from Wiel Arets Architects

Wiel Arets architect, Amsterdam, NL

Location: Maasbracht, the Netherlands, western Europe