The renovation is long overdue, says portfolio manager Rita Landeweer. ‘As far as I’m concerned, the library has been hopelessly outdated for years. There is a lot of overdue maintenance. The top floor overheats, some of the windows are leaky, the isolation is poor, and there aren’t enough outlets.’
The cafeteria is also outdated. It’s the only cafeteria that hasn’t been renovated by the new catering company. ‘It’s fairly noticeable’, says Landeweerd. ‘It’s time for something new.’ During the renovations, a temporary cafeteria will be created in the bicycle storage cellar in the Grote Rozenstraat.
Extra floor
The demolition will start this summer to prevent the activities disrupting education and research. The new building section will have an extra floor. The cafeteria will be housed on the ground floor, and the first and second floors will provide more study spots and classrooms.
An architect has already been selected. Their job is to take the sector plan, the general overview of what the new building needs to include, and turn out a tangible design. The plan was created in collaboration with participation groups consisting of, among others, teachers, students, and the cafeteria staff. ‘This ensures that it lines up with what everyone wants’, says Landeweerd.
Phase two
The renovation is phase two of a large-scale modernisation project for the Hortus complex. Phase one was completed in February. The faculty made the temporary classrooms at the Ebbingekwartier redundant by creating additional classrooms in the Bloemstraat. Phase three is a large-scale renovation of the rest of the Heymans building.
BSS students will have access to their library for the rest of this academic year, but after the summer they’ll have to find their way to the University Library or other places. ‘It’s a shame that the students won’t have the same facilities available to them for a while’, says Landeweerd. ‘But it’s for a good cause. The new building will be more comfortable and sustainable.’