Het Verlaat

The Giro office Het Verlaat was completed in 1973, based on a design by Abe Bonnema. The building stood freestanding along the Wester Stadsgracht, just outside the historic center of Leeuwarden. It is elevated above street level on a concrete column, the so-called mushroom structure, which gives the building its unique character and allows for a freely configurable ground-floor plinth. Shortly after, the site was expanded with two additional buildings: Nijderbij (1982) and the Zwei (1990). The three office buildings were functionally connected, creating a campus-like setting.

Over the years, the area became cluttered, the plinths were joined together, and Het Verlaat lost its solitary character. Because the building has also been vacant for several years, the site has lost much of its quality. We were commissioned to transform the building into residential use. Preserving its distinctive character and restoring the openness of the plinth were key design principles.