De Kroon: the crowning glory of The Hague’s Wijnhaven district
For several years, De Kroon has stood in the Wijnhaven district of The Hague, between Centraal station and the Spui and on the former site of the Black Madonna. At a height of no less than 131.5 metres, this impressive residential tower with office and retail space is one of the tallest buildings in The Hague.
Photo: Egbert de Boer
The new building houses 125 rental and 128 owner-occupied apartments spread over 40 floors. Unusually, there are two main entrances to the apartments: while one entrance leads to the rental apartments on the 1st to 13th floors, the other entrance provides access to the owner-occupied apartments above. Additionally, behind the apartments is a 23-metre-high office zone. The focal point here is an atrium with a 20-metre-high glass roof and a span of 18×40 metres, providing access to around 9,000 m² of office space. The commercial zone is divided into approximately 2,400 m² of retail space and various utility rooms. Car parking is located underneath the building.
Inspired by Chicago
For the design of De Kroon, architectural firm Rapp+Rapp took its inspiration from Chicago’s high-rise architecture of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This is reflected in the façade articulation, the use of natural stone and the distinctive window types. WICONA developed and supplied suitable profile systems for this project.
Precast façade
The slender residential tower features a façade in architectural precast concrete. The sandwich façade elements were developed and prefabricated in Loveld's factory, including all window frames, ranging from double casement to tilt-and-turn windows. The choice of precast was a logical one, according to Raimond Stassen, project manager at WICONA. This is partly due to De Kroon’s compact inner-city surroundings. “The residential tower is surrounded on three sides by busy streets and the construction site was very confined. So all elements were delivered ready-made to an intermediate hub, then transported to the construction site as needed and attached directly to the building.”
Photo: Egbert de Boer
Classic look
The profiles for De Kroon were developed specifically for the project, in close cooperation with façade construction partner Scheldebouw. “For instance, there are a lot of steps in the profiles to give the windows the desired classic look,” says Stassen. “The window guards are another distinctive feature. These allow residents to open their windows fully while protecting against falling. Additionally, for some façades, our systems include soundproofing features.”
The double casement and tilt-and-turn windows are based on WICONA’s WICLINE 65 system. The ground floor is equipped with WICTEC curtain walls.
Striking colour gradient
The WICONA profiles are anodised in a unique colour, transitioning from red bronze at the bottom to bronze at the top, Stassen explains. “The combination with the precast concrete is particularly elegant. So it’s no surprise that the residential tower was awarded the 2011 Concrete Prize.” The jury described the 131.5-metre-high residential tower as a “‘jewel in its surroundings” featuring “timeless architecture with international allure”. In 2014, De Kroon was also nominated for the International High-Rise Awards.
Developer: Wijnhaven development consortium (Kristal Projectontwikkeling and Bouwfonds MAB)
Contractor: BAM – Ballast Nedam
Architect: Rapp+Rapp
WICONA partner: Scheldebouw
Location: The Hague
Completion: 2011
Photography: Egbert de Boer
Photo: Egbert de Boer
Hanna Bouveng Communication Managerhanna.bouveng@hydro.com________________________________
Over the last few decades the brand name of WICONA has developed into a synonym for aluminium profile systems that meet the highest standards. The high technological standards, rigorous system considerations and quality processing of the products, as well as comprehensive services and consultation, all make a significant contribution to the success of the brand. WICONA belongs to the Norwegian company Hydro, a fully integrated aluminium company with 35,000 employees in 40 countries on all continents, combining local expertise, worldwide reach and unmatched capabilities in R&D.
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