The House of Culture and Administration Eemsdelta Is Taking Shape

The House of Culture and Administration for Eemsdelta is increasingly taking shape. The visualization of how the new building at Molenbergplein in Delfzijl might look is gradually becoming clearer. Over the past period, the design team Benthem Crouwel Architects and the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta have worked on the vision and structural design. Daniël Wever, director of the Molenberg, says: "It's fascinating to see how our wishes and ideas are gradually coming together in the first visualization of what the new building might look like."

TOGETHER WE CREATE THE HOUSE OF CULTURE AND ADMINISTRATION
The visualization of the House of Culture and Administration emerged from an intensive and interactive process in which collaboration and participation were central. Within a limited period of 12 weeks, the design team worked through multiple sessions on aspects including urban planning integration, building volume, and architectural expression.

"The House of Culture and Administration feels like a natural part of Delfzijl — rooted in the landscape and community of Eemsdelta. The soft curve of the façade embraces Molenbergplein, while the building adapts to the existing street pattern on the other side. In the roofline, a rhythmic movement emerges that builds like a piece of music: undulating and culminating in a powerful silhouette that stands out against the sky."
— Saartje van der Made, Architect and Partner at Benthem Crouwel Architects

Councilor Annalies Usmany-Dallinga says: "Participation, gathering stories and ideas is very important to us. Listening to suggestions, tips, and feedback from others contributes to better choices." Therefore, over the past two months, various work sessions have been held with future users of the new building, local residents, young people, council members, and interested citizens. "We will continue to do this extensively, because together we create our House of Culture and Administration."

MORE THAN JUST A BUILDING
What once began as a plan for just a theater has now evolved into a building with three functions: a theater, a library, and a city hall. Library Manager Ilona Ebels from Biblionet says: “The building is being constructed around the central heart where the library will also be located. It will be a beautiful, open space that brings people together, where they can meet one another. A place for reading, learning, working, and discovering.”

The building will also be suitable in the future as a venue for local, regional, and even international conferences and meetings. Councilor Usmany-Dallinga: "This project is important — not only for Delfzijl and Eemsdelta, but for the entire region. We've been looking forward to this for years!" The new building will not only be special to see and experience — area in and around Molenbergplein and Damsterkade will also be extensively redeveloped and improved. "It's also an investment in the future of Delfzijl. We started with the city beach, the boulevard, the Diekloper, and Vennenplein. Now we're tackling the vacancy and reinforcement of buildings here — to give this part of the city back its character. So that our residents can once again be proud of this place!"

FITTING THE LOCATION
From the beginning, it was important that the building should fit seamlessly with the place, the environment, and the history of Delfzijl. The designers have carefully studied the city, its surroundings, and the people who live and work there.

"Our most important goal has always been to design a building together - a building that works for everyone - for the people who work there daily and for visitors. We approached this with care, listening and working closely with our core team, cultural partners, and the community throughout the entire process."
— Kathleen Cayetano, Senior Architect and Project Leader at Snøhetta

FROM VISUALIZATION TO DESIGN
With this visualization, the structural design phase is not yet complete. The summer period will be used to further develop and refine the technical and financial calculations. Annalies Usmany-Dallinga: "We expect that the municipal council will be able to definitively approve the structural design in the October meeting."