Cosunpark

In the 1970s, Koninklijke Coöperatieve Cosun U.A. (Royal Cosun / the Dutch Sugar Union) was looking for a new headquarters in Breda. The site they eventually acquired is located on the western edge of the city. At the time, the surrounding residential neighborhoods did not yet exist. The Sugar Union commissioned Wim Quist to design a suitable headquarters, which was realized around 1975. In the original design, the site was accessed from the west via the diagonal Zuilenstraat, which connects the current Zandoogjes with the Ettensebaan. Visitors and employees entered the site through a gate flanked by garages and a gatehouse, leading to a green, park-like setting. The main entrance was located in a cut-out at the southwest corner of the building. The diagonal orientation of the building on the plot stems from this layout. Landscaping, visual art, and buildings together formed a carefully designed ensemble.

For more than twenty years, the situation remained largely unchanged. To the north and east of the site, a residential neighborhood and a police station were built, respectively. Around the turn of the century, the site became more densely developed. Plans were made for four office buildings, of which two were ultimately realized.

In 2011, Cosun / Suikerunie left their their head office and the building has remained empty since. The garage and gatehouse have been demolished, the visual artworks have disappeared, and the Zuilenstraat that once provided access to the park no longer exists. In the coming years, the park will be transformed into a residential neighborhood with 220 homes, with all parking provided underground. The existing building will be renovated, and six new residential buildings will be added.

The residential buildings are arranged in a basic checkerboard pattern but are not perfectly square. By shifting and rotating the rectangular volumes, sightlines are created that terminate at other buildings, generating dynamic spaces and clearly defined areas for lingering. All parking is located underground, and the green structures of the surrounding neighborhoods are extended into Cosunpark. The ground floors are fully residential, and the buildings are active on all sides, creating liveliness and vitality throughout. Existing large trees will be preserved, and additional greenery will be added so that residents truly live in a park. The new buildings are constructed in masonry with a concrete plinth in the same tone, harmonizing with the renovated Suikerunie building.