Grotius building, Faculty of Law, University of Nijmegen

The Grotiusbuilding is a new university building for the Radboud University Nijmegen. The building will be mainly used by the Faculty of Law. The cantilevered floors with recessed glass facades between them provide and open and optimal interaction with the park setting that envelopes the building. The building ‘drops’ a level into the ground and has a floor of recessed penthouses on top, making the building bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside. Through the void the daylight flows abundantly to the heart of the building and at the lowest floors around it, where the most public areas are accommodated. By using mainly natural materials inside, a warm and comfortable atmosphere is created. The library is directly visible from the central meeting area. Due to the glass walls the books determine the appearance in most areas of the building. The restaurant has a spacious terrace that is directly connected to the library. The penthouse-offices also offer more spatial quality with an amazing view of the green surroundings. Overall the horizontal lines of the floors give the building a classic and timeless look, while multi-functionality and flexibility are foremost.

Expertise: Architecture, Landscape architecture, Sustainability consulting, Acoustic consulting, Fire safety