Bustler writes that schmidt hammer lassen architects has won the international design competition for the new International Criminal Court (ICC) headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands. Bjarne Hammer, creative director and co-founder of the winning firm, said: “The building is designed as an abstract and informal sculpture in the landscape. This way, it becomes a backdrop for the ICC to communicate trust, hope, and most importantly, faith in justice and fairness.”
The site in the The Hague is close to the North Sea, which includes a “rolling dune” landscape. The building’s design is inspired by this landscape. According to Bustler, “the overall building form can be seen as an undulating composition of volumes on the horizon.” Hammer added that keeping the building small helped highlight the evocative landscape: ”By designing a compact building with a small footprint, we propose to return the landscape to the city.”
The competition jury applauded plans for a rich indoor garden, which is expected to create a sense of openness and transparency and also provide respite for ICC employees and visitors. “The inner atmosphere is confirmed as user-friendly, especially the spacious ground floor with beautiful daylight from above. This ground floor can be seen as an inner private park area which facilitates the interaction between all the ICC employees in a very pleasant and positive way.”
Additionally, the indoor garden will serve as a global botanical garden, using plants from around the world to express global, shared values. Hammer told Bustler: “Gardens have always existed as part of all cultures and all religions. With flowers and plants from each of the 110 ICC member countries, the parterre gardens rise up as a green landmark and a symbol of unity, regardless of nationality and culture.”
The BREEAM Excellent-building will provide space for more than 1,000 employees, and is expected to cost some 190 million Euros.
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Image credit: Bustler / schmidt hammer lassen architects
