The building consists of six volumes, the central of which is the Judicial Tower, the rest are occupied by office space. On an area of 54,000 m2, up to 1,200 employees will be able to work. The schmidt hammer lassen architects project was selected as a result of a major international competition held in 2008-2010. The team of authors also included landscape architects SLA, engineers from Royal Haskoning Nederland B. V. and Esbensen, the Bosch & Fjord bureau responsible for interiors and artwork.
The decision to build a new permanent building for the International Criminal Court can be seen as a sign of support for its "global fight against impunity" by the institution's 120 member states, said ICC President Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi. The ICC is a relatively young institution, which started working only in 2002, and such a tangible contribution to its activities as the new headquarters is important.
As a construction site, the former territory of the military base, the Alexander barracks, bordering on the reserve - the Meyendel dunes, was chosen. Therefore, special attention was paid to the landscape: six volumes are "rooted" in the relief and surrounded by a "parterre" that continues on the green facades of the Judicial Tower and the roofs. The facades of the office volumes are covered with a carpet-like “cell”, which, according to the architects' plan, should “almost playfully” reflect light.
The shl project was selected by the jury for the optimal combination of transparency and openness - as the basis of the ICC's work - and security (measures to maintain it here are among the most stringent in the world). There is easy and open access to the main entrance for the public, while the well-thought-out landscaping protects the court complex as well as the barbed wire and tall fences that are missing, the authors of the project say.
The environmental components of the project include the Netherlands' largest heat and cold accumulator, green roofs, water-saving heating equipment, automatic light control in offices and a biosystem for pond cleaning.
