Office – 3.000m²
Warehouse – 10.000m²
Site – 20.000m²
The new production facility
for the Royal Dutch Mint in Houten (NL) is a secured, concrete bunker of a
building. Because inside, the magic happens. Coins from various countries are
minted in a streamlined production process, integrating the logistics of raw
materials to the storage of finished product. All under one roof. The offices
are concealed within the bunker on the first floor, and situated around an elevated
interior courtyard which provides the work floor with an abundance of natural
daylighting. A glazed interior façade between warehouse and office enhances the
visual connection between administration and production.
Because the Dutch Vault is
located in the urban core of Houten, the challenge was to design a façade that reacted
accordingly. Although the concrete walls ensured security to the interior
program, it provided little value to the surrounding urban landscape. Our
design team decided to use the multifaceted production process of coins as
inspiration for the façade design. Industrial steel cladding with a bespoke
gold coating was our material of choice. The cladding panels were fastened to
the façade in a three dimensional pattern, giving the effect of intricate
facets of color and light, similar to the details of a coin.
