Striking, spacious and transparent
A building that is striking because of its unique exterior and its transparent interior, providing unexpected glimpses and routes. A meeting place for students, teachers, scientists and visitors, where knowledge is shared in order to lift health care to a higher level.
By means of high-quality research and education, the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) wishes to play an (inter)nationally recognized role in the improvement of health care quality. The Education building, designed by EGM architects, provides facilities for the Medical and Biomedical Sciences programmes. Transparency, spaciousness and materialization play important parts in the design.
Specimen cabinet basis for design
Everything in the design revolves around anatomy. In the middle of the building, on the ground floor, are the anatomical specimens, skeletons and illustrations of the LUMC's Anatomical Museum's unique collection. The metaphor of the classic wooden specimen cabinet was used to design a building like a glass display case, showing the separate unique functions as individual organs. The most important parts have been individually designed and encased in a glass skin, which simultaneously functions as a rain shield and a noise buffer.
Spacious and transparent
Spaciousness, transparency, layering and materialization form the key elements of this building. The yellow copper lecture hall, the concrete-coloured education centre and the wooden museum are all recognizable in the glass display case. In the open spaces at the two bottom layers, there are smaller red 'boxes' with public functions such as cloakroom, reception, catering and registration desk. Together with the red, curved seating units, these are strong accents that are visible from the outside - most prominently at night.
Striking and easy to navigate
The cube-shaped building contains nine floors. Seating approximately 400, the lecture and conference hall on the first flooris the faculty's largest lecture hall. The hall, with its gold-coloured sheeting, protrudes from the façade and is the building's eye-catcher. The centre for skill practise (Vaardigheidstrainingscentrum or VTC) is located in the central area of the building's upper structure. It is surrounded by offices and study group rooms near the outer walls. The central open space visually connects all floors, ensuring both natural light and easy negotiation throughout the building.In a 2008 public election, the Education building was voted most beautiful new building in the Leiden area.