sebastian van damme architecture architectuur architect photography fotografie photographer fotograaf exterior exterieur building gebouw Powerhouse Company Zwarte Hond station assen NS hout wood frame nature glass prorail

The brief for the redesigned railway station in Assen, a city in the north-eastern part of the Netherlands, asked for a design that would utilize the potential of Assen in the so-called Royal Axis, a regional economic development zone between Groningen and Assen.


The design by Powerhouse Company and De Zwarte Hond proposes three main aims: to create a striking and welcoming arrival; to restore lost connections between the eastern and western sides of the railway; and to provide a modern and flexible transport hub with a strong architectural identity.


The station is marked by a vast triangular canopy that unites the different services and operations of the station while bridging, literally and metaphorically, the urban boundary of the tracks. Each of the three corners marks a different entrance to the building. Its simple triangular geometry lends the design a strong and recognizable identity, and coherently organizes the program and the connection to the urban context.


Under the roof, a series of brick pavilions houses retail, technical services and the drivers’ staff room, framing a concourse that flows seamlessly from inside to outside. A careful organization of the travellers’ domains and retail areas results in a open and accessible ground floor. Resembling a public plaza, the station functions as a ‘red carpet’ that leads to the city centre of Assen.


Constructed as a laminated timber lattice structure, the canopy forms the eye-catcher of the design. A central section of skylights floods the main hall and pavilions with daylight, and large openings at the entrance draw light into the underground parking and tunnel. The outer edge of the roof canopy is clad with sedum, which helps reduce heat loads and creates a green, visual connection with the city centre.

sebastian van damme architecture architectuur architect photography fotografie photographer fotograaf exterior exterieur building gebouw Powerhouse Company Zwarte Hond station assen NS hout wood frame nature glass prorail
sebastian van damme architecture architectuur architect photography fotografie photographer fotograaf exterior exterieur building gebouw Powerhouse Company Zwarte Hond station assen NS hout wood frame nature glass prorail
sebastian van damme architecture architectuur architect photography fotografie photographer fotograaf exterior exterieur building gebouw Powerhouse Company Zwarte Hond station assen NS hout wood frame nature glass prorail
sebastian van damme architecture architectuur architect photography fotografie photographer fotograaf exterior exterieur building gebouw Powerhouse Company Zwarte Hond station assen NS hout wood frame nature glass prorail
sebastian van damme architecture architectuur architect photography fotografie photographer fotograaf exterior exterieur building gebouw Powerhouse Company Zwarte Hond station assen NS hout wood frame nature glass prorail
sebastian van damme architecture architectuur architect photography fotografie photographer fotograaf exterior exterieur building gebouw Powerhouse Company Zwarte Hond station assen NS hout wood frame nature glass prorail
sebastian van damme architecture architectuur architect photography fotografie photographer fotograaf exterior exterieur building gebouw Powerhouse Company Zwarte Hond station assen NS hout wood frame nature glass prorail
sebastian van damme architecture architectuur architect photography fotografie photographer fotograaf exterior exterieur building gebouw Powerhouse Company Zwarte Hond station assen NS hout wood frame nature glass prorail
sebastian van damme architecture architectuur architect photography fotografie photographer fotograaf exterior exterieur building gebouw Powerhouse Company Zwarte Hond station assen NS hout wood frame nature glass prorail
sebastian van damme architecture architectuur architect photography fotografie photographer fotograaf exterior exterieur building gebouw Powerhouse Company Zwarte Hond station assen NS hout wood frame nature glass prorail
sebastian van damme architecture architectuur architect photography fotografie photographer fotograaf exterior exterieur building gebouw Powerhouse Company Zwarte Hond station assen NS hout wood frame nature glass prorail
sebastian van damme architecture architectuur architect photography fotografie photographer fotograaf exterior exterieur building gebouw Powerhouse Company Zwarte Hond station assen NS hout wood frame nature glass prorail
sebastian van damme architecture architectuur architect photography fotografie photographer fotograaf exterior exterieur building gebouw Powerhouse Company Zwarte Hond station assen NS hout wood frame nature glass prorail
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