Europol is the crucial link for all police organizations in the European Union in the field of exchanging information on crime and crime prevention. The new building, equipped with a modern conference centre, can accommodate up to 850 employees and is located at The Hague World Forum. This forum area is part of 'The International Zone, an area where many international organizations in the field of Justice and Peace are housed.
From the outside the building presents itself as one large-scale sculpture of silver-grey bricks with large carved windows. By giving the building two distinctive faces it fits the surrounding well; along the Eisenhowerlaan the building is divided into four slabs following the rhythm of the neighbouring villas. On the other side the Forum facade has a horizontal character so it relates to the Convention Centre across the square.
To strengthen the building’s sculptural aspects the number of different materials has deliberately been limited. The building’s skin is of rough bricks glazed in a silver-grey colour, which reflect and scatter sunlight and unite all elements of the building into a single sculpture. Similar glazed bricks, in different colours, were used for the Convention Center and the ICTY offices nearby.
Despite the building’s internal and external security needs it has a very open character. This becomes clear when entering the spacious entrance hall, with its open staircase and glass elevator, located in the centre of the building. To the south a winter garden contains different plants and trees. The third space between the office slabs is the auditorium with a capacity of 500 persons. The roofs of these courtyards have their own identity and are mainly made out of glass. This way daylight can flood deep into the building, on the second floor oval light catchers have been used for this purpose.
This balance between secure closeness and overwhelming openness was a clear wish of Europol. The organisation doesn’t want to position itself as a bunker, but as an open and serving organisation. To quote the Director of Europol: ‘It is not only the best police building in Europe, it is very impressive in every respect. It is a statement to our stakeholders and the wider public – here we have the home of the European police agency. So it fits in with our organisation’s image and profile. It is impossible to overstate its symbolic significance’ (Smaak magazine, published by Government Building Agency).
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