Gasunie Building

The Gasunie Building is one of the most famous buildings in Groningen. It was built as a headquarters for Gasunie and was officially opened on 22 April 1994 by Her Majesty, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. The building has 18 floors and is 89 metres (292 ft) high, which makes it the second tallest building in Groningen after the Martinitoren. It is in the south of the city, on the edge of the Stadspark and right next to the main highways.

Gasunie Building
Gasuniegebouw
The building in 2008
General information
AddressConcourslaan 17
Town or cityGroningen
CountryThe Netherlands
Coordinates53°12′4″N 6°33′5″E
Current tenantsGasunie
Topped-out1 December 1992
Completed18 March 1994
Opened28 March 1994
Inaugurated22 April 1994
Costƒ140.000.000
Height89 metres (292 ft)
Dimensions
Other dimensions13 metres (43 ft)
Technical details
Floor area45,000 square metres (480,000 sq ft)
Grounds9,500 square metres (102,000 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architecture firmAlberts & Van Huut
Other information
Parking40,000 square metres (430,000 sq ft)
Website
www.gasunie.nl/over-gasunie/gasunie-gebouw

History

The old Gasunie building facilities could not meet the needs of growing number of the employees. After evaluation of economic and practical issues, it was decided to build a new building was made. The project started in 1989 with selecting a suitable site and creating a list of requirements, which architects should have implemented in their proposals.

Architecture

Gasunie foyer

The design of the building was developed by Alberts and Van Huut architects bureau and is considered to be a great example of ‘organic building’. There are two distinct parts in the building: high-rise section with offices and low-rise section with meeting rooms and service facilities. One of the main features of the building is its unique stairwell with glass ‘waterfall’ which is 60 metres (200 ft) high and 40 metres (130 ft) wide. The floors of the building are visually linked by this glass wall, which creates a sense of unity and space.

References

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