The Wedren is mainly known in Nijmegen for the start and arrival of the ‘Nijmeegse vierdaagse’ the infamous 4-day marathon. De other 51 weeks this area is used as a parkinglot, which is most of the time empty. Due to its central location and the urgent need for a decent hotel and meeting facilities RE architects developed a proposal for a hotel with underground parking to maximize the potential of this area. With the ambition to improve the service level of the city we also wanted to turn this ‘sea of tiles’ into a more attractive and lively area. If we are able to still facilitate the start and finish of the marathon we create a “win-win” model. The design leaves the front part on all the terrain empty for a ‘park-like’ infill while the parking garage blocks the view of the cars. The building is organized around a central courtyard. Hotel rooms are orientated to this courtyard or to the park. The floor of this outer ring of hotel rooms cantilevers out as balconies. These rooms are fully glazed yet privacy is provided by a screen of vertical brickwork strips. The upper rooms are provided with a unique character due to the specific roofscape. The ground floor is arranged as an open floor space with a fireplace; lobby, bar, restaurant and meeting centre. A clear lay-out with a lot of spacious rooms, privacy, light and liveliness are characteristic for this design. Materialization consists of a concrete structure clad with brickwork, wood and glass. The architecture is contemporary yet inspired by the rich 19-century architecture of the surrounding buildings.
