Architecture practice Mecanoo has unveiled design for a two-tower ensemble in The Hague, the Netherlands, which has been approved by The Hague Municipal Council to begin construction.

Named The Grace, the complex consists of two residential towers, one reaches at 150-meter height and the other reaches at 180-meter height on a seven-storey plinth. 

When completed, The Grace towers will become the tallest high-rise development in the city of The Hague. 

The towers include 1400 dwellings, composed of 30 per cent social housing, 20 per cent mid-range housing and 50 per cent free-sector rental properties. The project emerges based on the growing demand for affordable housing and aims to fostering a sense of community.

Besides housing units, the development comprises a wide range of communal facilities, 6,000-square-metre offices, 2,500-square-metre commercial functions, bicycle storage with shared bicycles and 50 shared cars.

The Grace is being built at Rijswijkseweg near the city centre and overlooks the Trekvliet canal, which will be transformed into a waterfront park for pedestrians and cyclists in the coming years. The Velostrada bicycle highway is also being built, and will connect The Hague with the surrounding municipalities. 

The project also connects the Binckhorst and Laakhavens neighbourhoods with the city-centre, and its combination of living and working spaces connects start-up entrepreneurs with residents. 

"The population of The Hague will grow considerably in the next twenty years from 525,000 residents to over 625,000. To meet this challenge, the municipality is encouraging inner city densification within the Central Innovation District (CID), a triangular area bound by the city’s three train stations," said Mecanoo. 

"Densification will begin in three priority zones within the CID. These zones are clustered around the train stations, in accordance with the guidelines presented in the city’s 2018 high-rise report “Eyeline Skyline”," the office added.

Aiming to address the needs in the area, Dutch real estate company Movement Real Estate and the Van Deursen Group commissioned Mecanoo to develop two residential towers within one of these CID priority zones, a stone's throw from Hollands Spoor Station and the centre of The Hague.

Mecanoo designs buildings in a harmonious composition with subtle variations in open and closed facade elements, transparent and round corners, materialisation and colour. 

Residents can enjoy a view of the city and, beyond that, of the sea. Commercial functions, a restaurant and work spaces are designed on the plinth situated the ground floor, while its upper levels contain housing, offices and communal facilities. 

Arcades on either side of the complex offer protection against wind and rain, and create sheltered places for restaurant customers and shoppers.

The plinth opens to the Schipperskwartier neighbourhood and the new waterfront park along the Trekvliet canal in the form of a raised green roof garden that offers space to the resident community for all kinds of activities. A transparent lobby forms the lively heart of the complex. 

It offers work and gathering areas for residents, a reception desk for visitors, and an overview of the activities in the surrounding co-working spaces. The lobby is, in fact, an extended home. Here, you can meet each other, or find a place to work or study. 

The community is further enhanced by shared courtyards and roof gardens, a communal kitchen, sports facilities, and a movie theatre. In addition, the building supports an emerging sustainable subculture, providing residents with shared bicycles and electric cars. 

The Grace offers attractive communal facilities that connect residents, making it a unique place to live.

Mecanoo was founded in 1984 by Francine Houben. The practice designs buildings in various size, scale and typology regardless of geography, including urban planning, landscaping, and interior design.

Mecanoo's key projects include Library of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, La Llotja Theatre and Conference Centre in Lleida, Spain, Longgang Cultural Centre in Shenzhen, National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts in Taiwan. 

The firm recently completed Unilever's Benelux Headquarters in Rotterdam and Heungkuk Tower Busan in China. 

Project facts

Project name: The Grace

Programme: Ensemble of two residential towers of 150 and 180 meters on a seven-storey plinth with 1400 dwellings, composed of 30% social housing, 20% mid-range housing and 50% free-sector rental properties, as well as a wide range of communal facilities, 6,000 m²of offices, 2,500 m² of commercial functions, bicycle storage with shared bicycles and 50 shared cars.

Design: 2018-2019

Realisation: 2022 - 2025

Client: Movement Real Estate and Van Deursen Group

Architect: Mecanoo, Delft

Structural engineer, installations consultant and building physics consultant: Arup, Amsterdam

All images courtesy of Mecanoo.

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