Ridderkerk Town Hall and Cultural Centre

• Date 2000-2004
• Address Koningsplein, 1 – 2981 EA Ridderkerk (Netherlands)

Since the start of his career, Charles Vandenhove has had the opportunity to undertake a wide variety of commissions, ranging from housing and commercial buildings to public infrastructure, whether cultural (museums, theatres, etc.) or administrative (offices, courthouses). The Ridderkerk project takes the Liège-based architect into new territory: the town hall. Generally regarded as a true urban landmark, the town hall has symbolised autonomy as well as local authority since the Middle Ages. The commission is therefore deeply significant for this small town of nearly 50,000 inhabitants, situated south of Rotterdam. The decision was taken to build a new town hall to replace the old building, which dated from the late 1970s; this was not demolished but was renovated by Vandenhove in 2005. The new building forms part of the city’s new masterplan and is situated on the edge of a large oval square, the shape of which is reminiscent of the site where the Singelkerk, the city’s historic church, stands. The two historic landmarks echo one another without actually facing each other. The complex includes offices and meeting rooms for the authorities and administrative services, but also has a cultural dimension, housing a theatre, a music school and several premises made available to local community organisations. Quite logically, the lobby serves as a dividing line between the two functions. The main façade, clad in yellow brick, follows the curve of the square and extends over three main storeys. Following the example of several interior projects such as De Zieken in The Hague or Catharinahuis in Eindhoven, Vandenhove employs the principle of the colonnade, which creates a sense of openness between the interior and exterior. At either end, two wings adopt the same materials and the same rhythm of solid and void elements. On the other side, towards Kaas Katerstraat, the architectural language is distinguished by a predominance of bay windows that define a two-storey wing. The interior design features certain ‘signatures’ of the Liège-based architect. The structural integrity of the building is, here, defined not by columns but by piers combining yellow bricks and concrete. The commission also involved the participation of numerous artists, including Luc Tuymans, Patrick Corillon, Jean-Pierre Pincemin and Léon Wuidar. Interestingly, the integration of works of art is not limited to a contemporary approach, as Vandenhove has reproduced works by Botticelli and Piranesi. As with many of his other projects, the architect has also made his mark on the public space by designing two majestic masts that punctuate the square and mark the location of the new town hall.

Guest artists: Alessandro Botticelli, Patrick Corillon, Jean-Pierre Pincemin, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Luc Tuymans, Léon Wuidar.

• Volumetry 66 archive boxes (7.92 m)
• Bibliography

  VERSCHAFFEL, Bart, VAN DEN DRIESSCHE, Maarten, VANDER MAREN, Philippe, Charles Vandenhove – Ridderkerk Community Centre, Ghent, A&S Books, 2005.

• AUTHOR AND DATE OF THE ENTRY Sébastien Charlier, 2022