The Hague in the Netherlands enjoys a unique position not available to many other cities in the world. It is the place of residence for Queen Beatrix and is the seat of the Dutch government even though Amsterdam is the national capital.

Earlier, The Hague has always had the reputation for a lifeless, prim and proper city with a formal atmosphere.

Before the 1980s, The Hague had very little to offer in terms of culture and entertainment. Compared to Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht, it used to be dull and lifeless.

Land-use allocation of the city was a little odd, considering that all entertainment zones were distributed along the periphery of the city. The old city hall was located far from the city centre and the public library was equally remote.

In short, the city lacked a heart. And all of this was the result of a mindless drive for modernisation.

The city authorities realised their mistake in the 1980s and slowed down their replacement of the old fabric with wide roads and contemporary matchboxes. But, by then, the damage had been done. The city centre had lost its cohesive character. So, the city started making plans for rejuvenating the core area.

One of the main objectives was the redevelopment of the Spui, one of the more attractive and popular areas of the city. The first icon to appear at the core area was the Nederlands Dans Theater (Netherlands Dance Theatre) designed by Rem Koolhaas in 1987. The city authorities understood and appreciated the benefits of building an architectural masterpiece at the heart of the city.

Next in line was a competition for the design of the City Hall and Library for The Hague. Advertised in June 1986, the format of the competition was appropriate for large-scale government projects for its transparency and quality-consciousness.

Partha ranjan Das
The author is an architect and urban designe

To be continued