Cacaofabriek Helmond
Architectural office cepezed has transformed an industrial icon on the edge of Helmond’s city center into a cultural hotspot with a wide variety of functions. Due to changes in function and a fire, the building was in a poor technical state, so the architects decided on a play of forms with new and existing elements reflecting the original factory.
A new hipped roof has re-introduced the recognizability of the form. The extension has been replaced, ensuring that the iconic façade along the water remained intact. The original main building and the extension form a U-shaped courtyard in which the pop venue and the central foyer are housed in a new volume.
This volume is located at some distance from the basis of the U-shape for purposes of acoustic decoupling and the incidence of daylight. Solutions that respect the history of the building and at the same time lend it a contemporary and autonomous character.
The Cacaofabriek project was one of the nominees for the Abe Bonnema Architectuurprijs 2015.
Photos: Jannes Linders