Recently it has been seen that interest in politics is declining. This is particularly worrying at the municipal level because the responsibility of municipal politicians is increasing. In addition, many people do not know exactly what happens in a town hall and are not kept sufficiently informed about what is happening within their municipality.
By designing a town hall that is mixed with a shopping function, people are attracted to the town hall. By making the…
Recently it has been seen that interest in politics is declining. This is particularly worrying at the municipal level because the responsibility of municipal politicians is increasing. In addition, many people do not know exactly what happens in a town hall and are not kept sufficiently informed about what is happening within their municipality.
By designing a town hall that is mixed with a shopping function, people are attracted to the town hall. By making the town hall and the events transparent, shoppers are exposed to the politics within the building. This makes users curious and determined to find out what is going on. The users are triggered to participate.
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ground floor plan
The building can be divided into 3 public areas. The main public space is a plaza consisting of three floors, with opportunities to eat and drink on the top floor. The council chamber is located in the center of the plaza. The town hall is located in the heart of the building, with the stadsloket on the ground floor and office spaces above. At the third public area is an amphitheater that can be used for events.
section
The main axis crosses all public spaces in the building and forms the connection between shoppers and the townhall. On this axis, shoppers are exposed to politics.
floor plan council chamber
The townhall is easily accessible from both the shopping street/passage and from the outside. Visitors of the townhall can report at the reception in the heart of the building. The stadsloket is secluded to ensure privacy and limit noise pollution. The office spaces are located above the retail buildings. The civic hall and wedding hall are each located above one of the main entrance and overlook the atrium and the outside.
1st floor townhall
The council chamber has an oval shape and has the cross-section of a colosseum. This format allows the public to sit as close as possible to the council members. The council chamber is accessible from all sides and is recessed into the floor. This means you don’t have to cross any barriers to enter te meeting. Before entering the tribune, one enters a closed room where the meeting can be followed via speakers. Here people can discuss among themselves what they see, serving as a kind of transition between shoppers and the meeting.