‘Double U’ office for the CBS, Leidschenveen

The new offices for the CBS (Statistics Netherlands) are an informal composition that guarantees privacy at crucial points. These two casually interlocking U-shaped office blocks turn their backs on the railway line and the busy roadways, protecting the intimate inner zone from noise nuisance. Glazed footbridges overgrown with plants interconnect the sleekly designed wings at two points. The ground-floor plinth has an open character and accommodates the general functions, such as a restaurant, medical centre and library, with a semi-submerged car park underneath.