a living room for the Province of Utrecht

The provincial hall of Utrecht, after being temporarily decorated during the whole transformation of the Provincial House needed to have a final design for the future. It was necessary and imperative to express through the design that the provincial hall forms the heart of the provincial democracy.

The building originally hosted the former VSB bank building (later Fortis) and it was designed in the 1990’s by architecten van Mourik. Afterwards, it has been transformed to accommodate the Province of Utrecht. The provincial hall is situated in the former auditorium and all national and international meeting take place in the Provincial House.

To come to a concept, the logo has been used as the identity carrier. The space as a whole is, in congruence to the heart of the organisation, seen as a living room. A living room that presents and represents the identity of the province.

The concrete surrounding of the former auditorium is covered in a fabric wall covering with a print of the logo of the Province of Utrecht. The furniture is executed in natural bamboo, creating a warm and acoustically improved space that does justice to the living room of the province.

The production of the fabric panels was done by specialists in a scientific way, so as to guarantee colour fastness and to prevent possible shrinkage. For the layout of the furniture, a current image-registration practices have been taken into account to ensure that everyone can fully follow the dialogue.

From a sustainability perspective, the materials are chosen based on longevity and minimal maintenance. Furthermore, the detailing enables a simple separation of different materials after their use.