The Groningen Convention Center is a new multifunctional building located in the heart of Groningen. It serves as a cultural “department store,” offering exhibition spaces, movie screening halls, conference rooms, restaurants, and an extensive collection of books. This conference center is designed to be a platform for communication and debate, envisioned as the city’s communal “living room.”
The Groningen Conference Center transcends traditional categories—it is neither a library, an art gallery, nor a cinema. Instead, it merges these institutions into a new public space where information flows across various media, organized around thematic presentations.
The building is conceived as a singular, cohesive structure to emphasize synergy and foster a shared identity by integrating diverse spaces into one complex. A series of carefully designed openings anchor the building to its site, creating varied façades and visual experiences.
At the heart of the center lies a remarkable central space—the creative atrium with its horizontal extensions acts as the vibrant core. This open area functions as a spatial interface connecting cinemas, book collections, a World Expo area, and auditoriums, fostering the exchange of knowledge and ideas.
A series of stacked squares extends the city’s open spatial network, inviting people to explore. The vertical square is accessible to the public and serves as the main entrance for ticketed events. The building’s unique layout offers ever-changing perspectives across the city, culminating in a rooftop terrace that serves as both a viewing platform and an outdoor theater.
Double Helix Staircase
The center is designed to highlight the results of discovery rather than the search process itself. Its architecture encourages curiosity and exploration, inviting visitors to wander and endlessly “browse” through its surprising interior landscapes.
Project Drawings
▲ General layout plan
▲ Ground floor plan
▲ Underground floor plan
▲ Underground second floor plan
▲ First floor plan
▲ Second floor plan
▲ Third floor plan
▲ Fourth floor plan
▲ Fifth floor plan
▲ Sixth floor plan
▲ Seventh floor plan
▲ Eighth floor plan
▲ Ninth floor plan
▲ Tenth floor plan
▲ Eleventh floor plan
▲ South elevation view
▲ North elevation view
▲ East-West elevation
▲ Indoor sectional view
▲ Sectional view CC
▲ Section DD-GG
▲ Sectional drawing FF-EE
▲ Vertical function analysis
▲ Functional analysis
▲ Streamline, installation, and structural analysis
▲ Shape generation analysis
Project Information
Project Type: Cultural Center
Location: Groningen, Netherlands
Architect: NL Architects
Area: 17,000 m²
Year Completed: 2019
Photographers: Deon Prins, Marcel van der Burg
Lead Architect: NL Architects
Design Team: Pieter Bannenberg, Kamiel Klaasse, Walter van Dijk, Thijs van Bijsterveldt, Florent Le Corre, Sören Grünert, Iwan Hameleers, Sybren Hoek, Kirsten Hüsig, Mathieu Landelle, Zhongnan Lao, Barbara Luns, Gert Jan Machiels, Sarah Möller, Gerbrand van Oostveen, Giulia Pastore, Guus Peters, Jose Ramon Vives, Laura Riaño Lopez, Arne van Wees, Zofia Wojdyga, Gen Yamamoto with Christian Asbo, Nicolo Bertino, Jonathan Cottereau, Marten Dashorst, Rebecca Eng, Antoine van Erp, Tan Gaofei, Sylvie Hagens, Britta Harnacke, Jana Heidacker, Sergio Hernandez Benta, Johannes Hübner, Yuseke Iwata, Cho Junghwa, Linda Kronmüller, Jakub Kupikowski, Katarina Labathova, Ana Lagoa Pereira Gomes, Qian Lan, Justine Lemesre, Amadeo Linke, Fabian Lutter, Rune Madsen, Phil Mallysh, José Maria Matteo Torres, Victoria Meniakina, Shuichiro Mitomo, Solène Muscato, Lea Olsson, Pauline Rabjeau, Thomas Scherzer, Michael Schoner, Martijn Stoffels, Jasper Schuttert, Bartek Tromczynski, Carmen Valtierra, Elisa Ventura, Benedict Völkel, Vittoria Volpi, Murk Wymenga, Qili Yang, Yena Young, Alessandro Zanini.
Owner: Municipality of Groningen
Engineering: ABT
Interior Design: NL Architects in collaboration with deMunnik-deJong-Steinhauser, &Prast&Hooft, Tank, Northern Light
Architectural Engineering (including Geotechnical Engineering): ABT
Structural Engineering: ABT
Building Physics, Acoustics, and Safety: DGMR
Technical Installations: Huisman en van Muijen (HVM)
Acoustic Design: Peutz
Contractor: BAM
Seismic Engineering: ABT in cooperation with BORG and BAM Advies & Engineering
Parking Lot Art: Nicky Assmann
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