A closer look at the most talked-about building in the Netherlands

For more than 20 years, work was done at the East side of the Grote Markt square, with the Forum as the cultural heart of the intervention. Commissioned by the City of Groningen, NL Architects designed a new type of building, moving way ahead of the international competition in the multiple assignment early 2017. At the opening in late 2019, the daring, visionary design concept finally took concrete form: a series of stacked squares, opening up and overlapping a rich cultural programme. With columns, articles, in-depth analyses and stories in pictures, Forum Groningen highlights the context in which the building came to be, and also the design process, the challenging realisation and enthusiastic use. This richly illustrated book thus provides various perspectives on the living room of Groningen, from design decisions concerning the bannisters to considerations on the urban planning level.