The circular Town Hall of Rheden

Gispen government project interior view of municipality Rheden in De Steeg DZK1454 1

At the transition from the Veluwezoom to the IJssel valley, the new Town Hall of Rheden adorns. The building is surrounded by nature. That is precisely why the municipality took the environment into account in all respects during the design; both on the outside and the inside. Gispen helped think about a circular interpretation that suits the place and the use. 'Gispen translated our interior plan perfectly,' says Jerry Schmitt, project manager for the municipality of Rheden. 'The mix of new and revitalised furniture created the right balance between open appearance and sustainability.'

Town Hall Rheden saves on CO2 emissions

In the building of no less than 6730 square metres, 250 workstations were furnished with circular furniture from Gispen. Ed Wulterkens, project manager at Gispen: 'From our Circular Hub, we refurbished desks by providing them with new tops; this saved us a lot of CO2. We also installed Gispen ZINN chairs and Gispen TEAM conference tables, as well as sustainable furniture from Planq, Casala and Arco, among others. About 80 percent of the furniture we delivered was revitalised. This resulted in considerable CO₂ savings for the customer: in total, we avoided 55,581 kilograms of CO₂ emissions thanks to revitalisation and reuse.'

Thinking along to the front door and beyond

In addition to the furniture, Gispen also provided circular advice during the process. In consultation with the architect and client, we thought about how existing furniture could be reused within the design. We also took care of the cabling, moving in and assembly. Ed Wulterkens: 'With every project you run into something that you don't count on in advance. This time, the elevator fell out of use halfway through the project. We contacted the moving company and together we found a workaround to get the furniture in the right place. By building stairlifts in the void, we were able to deliver everything in time.'

Short lines for smooth collaboration

According to Jerry, the short lines of communication, including with the moving company, are exactly the reason that the collaboration went so smoothly. 'During the process, a lot of thought was given to local cooperation. For example, with the moving company in the area and with the local storage facility. From there, the furniture was delivered in stages, which allowed them to work very flexibly.'

How do you like it?

The circular furniture is now used daily and proves its value in practice. Jerry: 'You see that people use the places as we had envisioned it. The seats are well used, people work in the lounge corners – it feels open, accessible. That's nice to work with.'

Colleagues are especially happy with the connection that the building makes possible: more space, more sight lines and a design that reinforces that. The furniture fits in exactly with the open space within the building. That's why it feels like a whole', Jerry concludes.

Photography: Studio de Zwarte Kater

Ed Wulterkens, project manager at Gispen

A word from the specialist

'Zenber Architects had already made a strong design for this project. Based on that plan, we worked out a proposal that was exactly in line with it. That required switching, asking questions and occasionally shifting around. In the end, there was an interior in which everyone recognised themselves.'

'That interplay also started with looking at who would fit the job: which technician feels comfortable with the organization, who fits in well with the contact person? By looking at that carefully in advance, you create a personal click. You can see that in the end result.'

'You always see a good match reflected in the workplace.'

'I often hear from our colleagues how happy they are with their new furniture, which has been largely revitalised.'

Jerry Schmitt Housing & Facilities Advisor at the Municipality of Rheden

Jerry Schmitt, Housing & Facilities Advisor at the Municipality of Rheden

Customer testimonial

'There was already a development plan, designed by Carlien den Uijl of Zenber Architects. Based on that plan, a tender was issued within the existing framework contract of De Connectie. Gispen emerged as the best party. When we then started talking to them, it immediately felt right. The contact was friendly, open and thoughtful. They had a heart for circular furniture. Together with architect Carlien, they set to work on the interpretation. That collaboration went very smoothly.

It was important to us that the building would encourage encounters. Gispen immediately had ideas about pop-up lounge seats, interior landscaping and colour compositions. Partly because of that, it became a lively meeting place.'

The savings at the Town Hall of Rheden are equivalent to 3402 flights from Amsterdam to Paris and 4172 cubic meters less polar ice melting.

Photo gallery

Gispen government project interior view of municipality Rheden in De Steeg DZK1267

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Town Hall Rheden

Town Hall Rheden saves on CO2 emissions