In Assen, the former cultural centre De Kolk has made way for a new cultural complex. To ensure that the new programme, totalling 48,000 m², fits in perfectly, the location on the Vaart was expanded to take in two adjacent buildings and empty lots on Weiersstraat and Alteveerstraat. This created an extremely complex site: opposite a large-scale shopping complex, next to a traditional residential area, bordering a lush garden and along a relentlessly straight canal. The new culture cluster establishes the connection between old and new, between large and small scales, and between functions in and near the new complex.

The public reception and meeting space begins outside, with the imposing overhang at the Pelinckhof. The entrance leads the visitor to an inner square, the Culture Portal, where all functions of the complex converge. By strategically situating the public functions of the individual programmes around this Culture Portal, an impressive space has been created that also gives users the opportunity to forge various programmatic alliances. The abundance of light and the spatial layout make seeing and being seen the leading themes in the Nieuwe Kolk.