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De Zwarte Hond www.dezwartehond.nl

SuperHub Meerstad

By 15-11-2022

Inspired by the mission to connect the young Groningen district and make shopping a social activity again, De Zwarte Hond, commissioned by property developer MWPO, designed a multifunctional and adaptive center building.

Center in Green Heart
Meerstad is a young urban district in Groningen. The district is loved for its space, greenery and the recreational lake Woldmeer. Around this lake 5000 new houses will be built in the coming decades, so that the district will grow into a real city district. In view of this growth, it is important that the district already has an inviting center. With the eye-catching SuperHub by De Zwarte Hond, this center function has been given substance, with meeting being central.

Modern Market Hall
The design is a circular version of classic, large, transparent market halls and features an all-wood support structure. The cross-shaped wooden columns and beams in the roof create a cathedral-like appearance. The large span and a ceiling height of nine meters create a light and spacious effect. Iconic is the large canopy of more than five meters that functions as an awning and reaches out to the green surroundings with its elegant columns and net-shaped wooden trusses. The use of wood also provides a positive climate impact.

Diverse and Multifunctional
The SuperHub features a diverse program, including a supermarket and a café. This makes the building a meeting place as well as an amenity. Making shopping personal and social again was the goal; as a refreshing counterpart to the increasingly popular flash delivery services. The structure of the building was designed so that, even if it ever lost its function, it could have a second life in the future. In 20 years, the SuperHub could house a community center, a museum or housing.

Photography: Ronald Tilleman, Ronald Zijlstra