The Bioma atrium recalls the Aurora atrium, which was also designed by the LIAG firm of architects. Image LIAG The first brick has yet to be laid for the new centre for research on the microbiome. In fact, a builder hasn’t even been contracted. But we do have a name for the centre. A competition among the intended users of the new building resulted in the name Bioma, with the stress on the ‘o’.
The name was chosen from among 43 submissions. The lucky winner was Anet van de Wouw of the Animal Sciences Group. She was honoured earlier this week during a presentation about the building to the prospective users. Van de Wouw and her colleagues in the Host-Microbe Interatomics chair group will get a place in Bioma.
Most of the occupants, however, will come from the Agrotechnology and Food Sciences Group (AFSG), namely the chair groups Microbiology, Systems & Synthetic Biology, Bioprocess Technology and Toxicology. The Dutch Research Council Unlock programme will also be housed in the building. The plans for the new building were announced in February.
Staircase
Now architecture firm LIAG from The Hague has come up with a design, notable for its use of wood for both the structural design and the facade. In fact, it looks similar to Plus Ultra III, which is currently under construction. There will be an atrium in the centre of the building with a striking staircase (see image), says the process supervisor Ans Koning. In that respect it is like Aurora, which was also designed by LIAG.
‘The ground floor will have the reception, meeting rooms and a work cafe with outdoor seating,’ continues Koning. ‘Each of the four floors above will have labs and offices. We have been speaking to groups of users about the layout. Each floor will also have coffee corners, with seating and tables. The roof will be “green”, with solar panels and reuse of rainwater.’
The new centre will be built on what is now the car park next to Axis on Bornsesteeg.’ The construction work will be put out to tender this winter and building can start in the spring. It will take about a year, so the centre will come into use in the course of 2026.
