The new Dialogue Centre will be used for PhD defences, ceremonies and symposiums. © Broekbakema Architects
Construction work should have started a year ago but problems with the tendering process put paid to that. The contractors who had been selected were not prepared to build the centre for the sum WUR had reserved. According to Peter Booman, director of Facilities & Services, this was because of the tight construction market and the associated increase in prices.
Booman is not prepared to say how much more the building is costing now, but he calls it ‘substantially’ more expensive. WUR will cover the additional costs. The extra money is on top of the 3.6 million euros WUR got from the government (1.6 million) and the WICC fund (2 million).
The Dialogue Centre is a very good fit with the campus ecosystem
Cancelling the project was not a serious option, according to Booman. ‘The Dialogue Centre is a very good fit with the campus ecosystem. A building that replaces the Aula, where you can hold symposiums, where you can conduct the dialogue between WUR and society at large and where you can receive delegations and clients in style. Those are all functions that belong on campus.’
The Dialogue Centre was designed by Broekbakema Architects in Rotterdam. The contractor Berghege previously built the NIOO/KNAW premises on the opposite side of Mansholtlaan.