High Park

Historic Revival for Elevated Living

For many years, the historic ‘Kruisgebouw’ stood vacant until we revitalized this landmark building into a dynamic residential and work campus. High Park represents a unique and entirely gas-free transformation from a single-purpose office building into high-quality apartments offering stunning views over the city of Arnhem. The removal of the ancillary buildings highlights the beautiful brutalist architecture by Broek and Bakema.

BudgetConfidential
Time span2015 - 2022
Size37 500 m²
StatusCompleted
LocationArnhem, NL
TypeLiving, Offices, Transformations
Client
Borghese Real Estate
Partner in charge
Nanne de Ru
Partner in charge
Project team
Mitchel Veloo
Dirk Jan Schaap
Máté Molnár
Anouk Bras
Alexandra Waluda
Sven Jansse
Contractor
Installations Advisor

We continued the design philosophy of Broek & Bakema, ensuring the building is easily adaptable to the future—and now, it is.

Transformation

Stripped Down

The Kruisgebouw stripped down to its concrete skeleton 
We removed extensive network of cables and 26 escalators
We made way for a public park under the main building
Concrete facade panels replaced with aluminium plating
01 - 04

Dutch
Heritage

The former office building was a significant part of Dutch architectural history

Dutch
Heritage

This transformation breathes new life into the complex, which was once perceived as drab and inaccessible, making it now open and inviting. We chose to preserve and enhance the valuable qualities of Broek and Bakema’s brutalist design to improve accessibility. By reducing parking spaces and removing the lower west and north buildings, we created space for a public park that flows seamlessly under the main building. This enhances the prominence of the main building’s shape and makes it a connecting element in the area, rather than an obstacle. Consequently, the building now adds significant value to the living comfort of Arnhem’s residents. The Kruisgebouw houses 281 apartments, while the East Building contains 153, and the West Building is still under development.

The elevated volume of the Kruisgebouw provides space for greenery, logistics, and communal areas

Generous Gesture

The park serves both residents and the surrounding area
Grand columns at the entrance align with brutalist beauty
The elevated volume provides space for greenery
Connected with Velperweg, an important city route
01 - 04

With this office transformation, we could provide generous proportions such as exceptionally high ceilings and large windows, creating loft-style apartments with stunning city views and spacious balconies.

Most apartments boast 3.70 m high ceilings, exceeding the standard scale
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