Vindicat Students’ Union

Part of the redevelopment of the east side of the Grote Markt in Groningen – which also made the construction of the Groninger Forum possible – was the relocation of the student society, Vindicat atque Polit. Vindicat got a new building, in one of the most striking places in the city, next to the Martinitoren and opposite the town hall.

The new building is a contemporary Dutch house with an air of grandeur, windows on the city and a balcony on the Grote Markt. It gives shape to the group feeling, the rituals and the identity of the society. The front door gives access to the hall and the monumental staircase to the first floor. The staircase is the start of an architectural route that connects all the common areas. These spaces each have their own atmosphere.

Despite the special shape of the plot and the complex programme, the construction is efficient and economic. The angular displacement of the lot has been solved by designing two structural rectangles. The front section has great storey heights; the rear is lower. The space in between is the place for the connecting stairs and routing.