These are the most important changes Robert Winkel thinks to make to transform the Bastille into a student-service-palace as commissioned by the Student Union. A week ago he presented his plan to the future users. Apart from the Union itself, these are, among others, Student Services & Campus (DiSC) and a variety of student committees and interest groups.
'We will make the best of what we got. There are enough possibilities to do beautiful things with this building', according to the architect. But at the presentation he did not make a secret of the fact that they will have to do quite a bit of juggling, both with space and budget. 'The building is stuffed full, and as a designer I am not happy with that,' according to Winkel.
The designer from Rotterdam did not juggle with slick scale-models or artist's impressions during his presentation. It is after all only a 'preliminary preliminary design, for future residents to take potshots at. In particular the housing of the office-functions within the building, which will consist of three layers, can be moved about significantly. 'But if you do not make the atrium, the two entrances and the stairwells, you have not done much', according to Winkel discussing the core of his design.
The architectural find of cutting through the building ends a lot of the problems of the 'old' Bastille. The large number of levels (16 at a height of 12 metres) and the uncertainty concerning the escape routes will be drastically reduced, and a considerable stream of daylight is let in. Moreover on the atrium on the inside of the building (glass) fronts can be created, so that the listed exterior of the monumental Bastille can remain intact for the most part. The most noticeable new functions planned the ground floor are a day-cafÚ, shops and a front-office for a number of DiSC-services. Especially the place and the manning of the front-office, and the way the reserved shop spaces will be filled in, yielded a lot of discussion during the presentation. Should the Union not show its face in the front-office instead of DiSC? Or, could the student care less by whom he is helped, when he gets what he wants? Will it not be a shopping-mall instead of student-building?
That the margins are small to honour all the wishes was something that Winkel emphasised during the presentation with a small sum: although for the whole project 11.2 million guilder have been reserved, the budget for the renovation is 7.2 million, and this amounthas been divided fifty-fifty between building- and installation-costs. 'We are talking here for 99% of the time about half the renovation-budget.'
In June the 'final preliminary design' is sent to the Executive Board (CvB), complete with cost estimate. Then it should become clear what is and is not possible within the available budget. What Winkel has introduced here is, as he calls it himself, a 'optimal model', which 'roughly meets the financial conditions'. Cuts will have to be made when the budget threatens to be exceeded: either in the building, or in the number of functions. The once planned squash activities have been cancelled.
After a few more consulting rounds and the determination of the final design the renovation should start in February. The opening party can be expected in September next year.
