Exhibition and Training Centre near Zvenbergen

The concept foresaw the development of a commercial, multi-functional building type – containing showrooms, training spaces and offices – that would be suitable for various locations in Europe. Since the building itself functions as a vehicle for products and as a “brand” in its own right, the recognizable identity of the box (in the sense of corporate design) stood to the fore. The single-storey strip, roughly 10 x 40 m on plan, forms a striking volume that seems to hover just above the ground. The fully glazed long faces of the structure provide illuminated display spaces for models of blinds and shutters. In the attic and plinth zones, the linear windows are flanked by horizontal strips clad with anthracite-coloured fibre-cement sheeting set flush with the facade. The end walls are covered almost entirely with the same grey sheeting. Access to the exhibition container is via an external precast concrete ramp set in front of one of the long faces. Inside the building, a spacious lounge with a landscape of bright-red upholstered sofas provides a reception area that leads on to the central showrooms. In contrast to the dark-grey external skin, all internal surfaces are lined with natural, light-coloured larch cladding. Incorporated in the soffit system is a narrow lighting strip that runs continuously round the outer walls. The various models of blinds and shutters are presented by means of pivoting light boxes lined up on the structural axes of the building. Located at the two ends are a training area, a store and an office space. The box was conceived in a mixed form of construction and provides for a short assembly period. By specifying a stacked-plank floor and roof, it was possible to do without an elaborate layer of secondary beams. The load-bearing structure of the timber box consists of framed steel HEA-sections. Sanitary cells and spatial divisions were prefabricated in a timber-framed form of construction. After an assembly period lasting only three weeks, the exhibition building in the Netherlands was handed over ready for use.