You’ll find a new buzz at the culture hub in The Hague after the successful renovation Theater aan het Spui and Filmhuis, a collaborative effort of Deerns and the local municipality.
The Hague, 17 July 2024. Commissioned to design and execute renovation on this four-year project, Deerns recently completed work on Theater aan het Spui and Filmhuis Den Haag. The 1990s complex designed by Architect Herman Hertzberger comprises a theatre, film and residential area and is an important cultural hub in the city centre.
Major improvement on the sustainability front led to improved energy efficiency and BREEAM in-use certification. Other major improvements are improved comfort for theatre goers and new building installations such as new air handling units which are equipped with heat recovery. Other new installations are the electrical distribution equipment, fire alarm and emergency lighting systems.
‘The building has a unique layout and function which proved especially challenging,’ says Marcel Bekkering, Deerns Real Estate Project Manager. ‘Deerns was in the lead from start to finish, supervising the execution over the quieter summer season from June to September so that hub was ready for the busy theatre season.’
Courage to make sustainable
Theatre goers are now enjoying improved comfort at far lower energy usage. The new thermal storage installations’ installation replaces the previous district heating in order to provide a cooling component to the theatre. Since the municipality of The Hague is committed to sustainablity it approved this design regardless of the countless challenges this posed from complexity through to disruption for local residents. Another major issue was that the underground wells are close to an important Holocaust memorial site.
Synergy from start to finish
The close collaboration between Deerns and the municipality of The Hague meant both sides navigate the project as partners standing shoulder to shoulder to overcome these challenges. The theatre and film house users were actively involved in the process which made all the difference to the success of the project. ‘This strong synergy between everyone meant that all the requirements for a successful design were very clear,’ Marcel explains. ‘Synergy between the client, consultant and user only benefits the final product.’
Deerns joined forces with the municipality of The Hague to renovate this important cultural hub while still keeping a forward thinking mindset to ensure comfort of theatre goers, urban growth plans and sustainablity demands.
