Koningin Julianaplein
Responding to The Municipality of Hague’s requirements for creating an inclusive, welcoming and cohesive development of Queen Juliana Square, MVRDV’s designs for transforming this centrally-located public square promises a sustainable and more accessible urban development for the areas around The Hague’s central station.
- Location
- Netherlands
- City
- The Hague
- Year
- 2016
- Surface
- 37500 m²
- Client
- Provast
- Status
- Competition
- Programmes
- Offices , Retail , Bar-restaurant
- Themes
- Architecture , Public , Mixed use
How do you create a new place in The Hague, where people would like to go, live and want to relax? A place where tourists and commuters, cyclists and pedestrians can all make use of the same space? How can a busy metropolitan hub such as The Hague Central Station provide a pleasant environment for all of its different visitors and residents? And, last but not least, how does one create a place that cries out for recognition as a gateway to the stately court?
MVRDV’s vision for developing the station area around the Central Station in The Hague is in line with the location’s landmark status. An icon welcoming travelers, visitors and residents warmly into the dynamic and green city of The Hague. Juliana Square also offers a peaceful haven and beacon for the residents of the city. It is a place that blends in with the natural, green settings of woods and parks that are familiar to the Hague's cityscape but will now offer something new. The new square will serve as both a transit point and destination together forming a symbol that confirms the identity of The Hague and underscores the allure of the city.
The new station and the iconic garden port will have many inhabitants. In the main buildings are houses, shops, and restaurants offering a 24-hour area. Both the square and its new main hall will serve as meeting points, places for eating and drinking or sitting in the sun on the many terraces and benches in the green. Travelers see at a glance what the city has to offer in terms of art culture as the road from the station to the museums are pedestrianized.
In the middle of the urban environment, one is able to enjoy a green oasis of tranquility. Cross the gardens and the park you can feel the dynamics of the heart of the city.
MVRDV’s worked together with LOLA Landscape Architects on this competition to transform Queen Julian Square into a Green, iconic and welcoming new square for The Hague.