“In Rome I visted the baths of Caracalla. I saw beautiful arcs. Why don’t we make arcs anymore, I wondered. I wanted to refer to this architecture, work in this tradition.” FARO is interested in picking up history. An architect always builds in a tradition, even when he consciously distances himself from it. “Answering history in today’s language opens many doors.” - Hugo de Clercq, project architect
The Bonifaciusschool in Alphen aan den Rijn lies in the center of town. Alphen has a long history that dates back to the Romans. The old Rijn river was the limes, the northern border of the Roman Empire. These days, Alphen is a sizable city. The center is being renovated into a lively inner city with many amenities. In 2006, FARO was asked to create a plan for the center of Alphen aan den Rijn.
The first building of plan is now ready: the Roman Catholic elementary school Bonifacius. The building refers both to the future as to the past. The design is evidently modern but uses historic elements. Elements that we use in Roman and Medieval times and that we still use today, the same but different: arcs, gates, walls and Bonifacius’ name forever in brick. All of this together creates the architectural image of a building that’s part of a century long tradition and that will contribute to this tradition as well. Contributing something of our own time and culture to a never ending development. The children will thus be taken into the history of this location. FARO has an integral approach towards sustainability and has booked increasing results on many fronts. The Bonifacius school also meets the needs of any contemporary building. The building is very compact and uses minimal energy. The interior is fresh and noise-free. The spaces are flexible and can be used by many different user groups. One request was to design a school that will function at least 75 years. The materials we used are all solid and durable and can easily stand the test of time. The users, the school team, the children and also the neighbors - all have been included in the realization of the design.
