A mixed-use development, Groninger Forum by UNStudio in the Netherlands has a building area of 7000 square meters serving as a lively podium for information, presentation, and participation where interaction and flexibility play a central role. The building houses a library, museum, cinema, auditorium, congress center, lunch café, restaurant, sky lounge, offices, crèche, and underground parking. The design strives to take all these programs and allow them to feed off of each other to create a variety of dynamic spaces and venues to draw the public in. The Groninger Forum is designed to fit seamlessly into its surroundings, whilst offering a new prototype for interdisciplinary relationships. Behind the fragmented front façade designated as a circulation zone, is a flexible zone occupied by the main programs (museum, library, cinema, and archive) that allowed them to collaborate on activity and event programs. Along with the numerous meeting places for visitors, the architecture supports and encourages the participation of the public. The glass façade establishes a direct relationship between the city and the building that helps the design fit seamlessly into its surroundings. The transparency of the façade forms an interactive, three-dimensional media screen, and captures views of the activity taking place inside.
Kristin Hoover is an editor at Arch2O and a proud graduate of Virginia Tech. Since joining in July 2014, she has authored over 200 insightful articles covering everything from adaptive reuse and cultural centers to eco-buildings and urban infrastructure . With a passion for architectural storytelling, Kristin skillfully curates and crafts compelling narratives that bring design innovation to life. Her editorial work reflects a broad yet finely honed interest in how architecture intersects with society, technology, and the environment—making her a key voice shaping Arch2O’s explorations of contemporary built form.