An extension and renovation of an existing office located in Heerlen–near the Dutch-German border, in the south of the Netherlands–the original building dates from 1940s, and was constructed to house the headquarters of a pension fund for the city's then flourishing coal mine industry. And though mining  is no longer an active facet of the region's economy, the company that occupies this office has since expanded its activities throughout the entirety of the Netherlands. The renovation entailed intertwining the new component of the office with that of the old; this was done so that the surrounding city retained its treasured heritage. Contrasting with the 1940s brick building–whose front stairwell is capped by an ornate onion dome–is the concrete extension, which abuts its partner via a massive concrete wall. Contiguous to this wall, which simultaneously divides and connects, is the extension's main entity, which hovers over the ground below.

Read more about the AZL Pension Fund Headquarters

Location
Akerstraat 92
6411 HD Heerlen
the Netherlands

Program
Office, Renovation

Size
5.400 m2

Date of design
1991

Date of completion
1995

Project team
Wiel Arets, Dominic Papa, Ani Velez

Collaborators
Lars van Es, Jo Janssen, Malin Johanson, Maurice Paulussen, Joanna Tang, René Thijssen,  Richard Welten, Paul Egers, Joanna Tang

Client
Pensionfund AZL Beheer Heerlen

Consultants
Veldhoen Facility Consultants BV, Ingenieursbureau Grabowsky & Poort BV, Tema Ingenieurs BV, Laudy Bouw & Planontwikkeling BV