Fire Station Rijswijk

A new fire station went up at the intersection of Churchilllaan and Beatrixlaan in Rijswijk. Designed to provide around-the-clock accommodation, the station features a lounge, bedrooms and a gym. The design can be seen as a single roof above the heads of the city’s fire brigade. Four ‘rafters’ towering above the roof stand at right angles to the interior network of corridors. Fitted with strips of glass, these elements create beautiful ‘light streets’ inside and out. The station’s exit lane opens into the spacious, green Churchilllaan. Bedrooms, located on the opposite side, are on a residential street. The entrance, at the far end of the building, is accentuated by a series of floors that form gradually widening ‘steps’. Thanks to glazed facades, the living room, canteen and chief fire officer’s quarters are visible from the street. The facade is in keeping with the nature of the facilities behind it: a brick exterior on the side with bedrooms and offices becomes a mix of brick and glass at the end of the building and, subsequently, an aluminium and glass exterior marking the garage on the other side.