Forum Groningen is a
cultural center in the city of
Groningen
Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...
in the northern Netherlands that houses a library, cinema, and parts of the
Groninger Museum. Forum Groningen opened in November 2019, and is expected to receive 1.6 million visitors annually.
The center is located next to the Great Market Square and the New Market and is part of larger reconstruction plans of the Great Market Square's eastern side.
History
Planning
The eastern side of Groningen's Great Market Square was destroyed in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It has subsequently been rebuilt, but its facade has since lost appeal. Municipal authorities initiated plans for its redevelopment in 2005, but met heavy opposition from the city council. A plebiscite was held on 29 June, inviting inhabitants to weigh in. Although 53% of the votes were favorable, results were voided due to a turnout of only 38.5%.
Architects were invited to enter an
architectural design competition, allowing the city's inhabitants to put together a top three out of a total of seven designs, from which the Forum's winning design was chosen by a municipal council.
Construction
Construction costs were projected to be around 71 million, of which €35 million was paid by the provincial government. Provincial authorities attempted to back out of the project in 2010; threats of legal action led by
Jan Terlouw secured its renewed support.
Work to demolish the site's original development—a shopping center and a student association building—began in September 2011. The building was slated for completion in 2017, allowing for six years' of construction. However, decades' worth of large-scale drilling in the
Groningen gas field has led to an increase in induced earthquakes in the province, whose event count shows an exponential growth in time, and caused a
budget overrun and construction to run overdue for two years, as new plans had to be drafted to ensure the building's
earthquake-resistance.
The building had its official opening on 29 November 2019.
References
External links
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{{Authority control
2019 establishments in the Netherlands
Buildings and structures completed in 2019
Buildings and structures in Groningen (city)
Cinemas and movie theaters in the Netherlands
Cultural centers in the Netherlands
Event venues established in 2019
Museums in Groningen (province)
Public libraries in the Netherlands
21st-century architecture in the Netherlands