The administrative building next to the central station was built in 1992 according to the design of Jan Hogstad, but at the beginning of the 21st century it no longer met the standards of working space and environmental friendliness. In addition, the economic crisis has forced the Dutch government to revise its "property portfolio" in order to improve its efficiency.
Under these circumstances, the area of the building was reduced from 180,000 m2 to 85,000 m2; 20% of the building was demolished, however 99.7% of the material from the dismantled parts was used in new construction. The renovation was carried out by the public-private partnership PoortCentraal, which included OMA, construction firm BAM and service company ISS.
Reinstrat 8 houses two ministries - Foreign and Infrastructure and Water Management, as well as an Immigration and Naturalization Service and a central agency for the reception of asylum seekers. Conference rooms are available for all ministries based in The Hague. The building has a capacity of 6,000 officials and 4,200 workplaces (3,100 conventional tables and chairs + 2,200 seats in meeting rooms and public areas, where two seats are counted as one working) - taking into account the modern concept of "flexible" use.
Six atriums provide the interior with air and light and serve as storage for warm / cold air. Waste is processed into biogas, solar panels are installed on the roof, all lamps are LED. The building was connected to the city by a transparent triple-glazed façade, which also provided the offices with natural light; in addition, the passage under the building has been converted into a square with shops and cafes.
The interiors were designed by OMA, the architects selected the works of art for them in the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Art objects were created especially for Reinstrat 8 by the artists Zoro Feigl (main atrium) and Tamar Frank (square).
The original architect of the building, Jan Hogstad, was also involved in the project, and the OMA team was led by partner Helen van Lohn.
