Utrecht municipality nominates 8 UU buildings as Young Monument
It’s Open Monument Day on Saturday September 9th, and Sunday September 10th. Utrecht University is also opening its monumental doors to visitors on these days.
Have you ever wondered what lies behind the classicist facades on the Drift or the Janskerkhof? Or perhaps you've always wanted to explore the Academiegebouw? Well, now's your chance! Several Utrecht University buildings are open for a visit, lecture or guided tours. For a list of accessible buildings, visit the Open Monument Day Utrecht website.
UNESCO World Heritage site
The university owns numerous buildings, and some of them have been designated as Municipal or National monuments. Notably, the ‘Fort aan de Hoofddijk’ in the Botanical Gardens and the majority of the surrounding fields are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as 'Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie.'
A Glimpse into the Future: UU buildings nominated as Young Monuments
Until recently, our monuments were primarily concentrated in the city center. However, that is changing soon. The Utrecht municipality has recently expressed its intention to classify 38 city buildings as 'Young Monuments.' This list includes eight buildings from Utrecht University. These structures, dating from the period after 1970, hold substantial cultural-historical value for the city of Utrecht.
Six of these young monuments are situated in the Utrecht Science Park. These include the Hugo R. Kruyt Building, the Minnaert Building, the Educatorium, the University Library, the Basket Bar, and the Warmtekrachtcentrale on Limalaan. Completing the list are the recently renovated University Museum on Lange Nieuwstraat and the Dining Hall at University College Utrecht.
Balancing Heritage and Progress
These young monuments will receive a higher level of protection. Simultaneously, there will be room for change. In the event of potential redevelopment, such as the Hugo R. Kruyt Building, we are dedicated to preserving their historical significance, while also optimising them and making them more sustainable for educational and research purposes.
Overview new Young Monuments
The Basket
NL Architects, completion: 2003.
Winner of the Rietveld Award 2003
Photo: Utrecht University
Dining Hall UCU
Department of Buildings, Works and Grounds Defense, completion: 1985.
Photo: Utrecht University
Educatorium
Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Christophe Conubert, Rem (Remment) Lucas Koolhaas, completion: 1997.
Winner of the Rietveld Award 1999
Photo: Bert Spiertz
Hugo R. Kruyt building
Architects: ir. H.L.M. Frantzen and T.A. Brouwer, completion: 1973
Photo: Harold van de Kamp
University Library Utrecht Science Park
Wiel Arets Architects, completion: 2005
Winner of the Rietveld Award 2005
Photo: Utrecht University
University Museum
Koen van Velsen, completion: 1996.
Architect renovation: De Zwarte Hond.Winner Rietveld Award 1997
Photo: Robert Oosterbroek
Warmtekrachtcentrale
Architect: Dok Architecten, Liesbeth van der Pol, 2005.
Photo: Maarten Hartman