Arup and Belgium architect XdGA have won the competition to design the European Patent Office headquarters

Arup and Belgian architect Xaveer de Geyter Architecten (XdGA) have won the design competition for the new 100,000m² European Patent Office headquarters in The Hague.

The British engineer provided the structural, mechanical, electrical, environmental, façade and fire engineering. The design features four 23-storey buildings linked by three large structures at specific levels.

The reinforced concrete structure will be pre-stressed and cast in-situ. Facades will be used to control the building’s climate. One is a double-layered glass façade that will act as an environmental moderator and acoustic buffer on one side of the building. The other façade will exploit the thermal mass of the concrete to control heat gains and losses.

The winning design was selected from 391 initial entries. The European Patent Office in Munich ran the international competition, with assistance from Phase Eins in Berlin.

The development is due for completion in 2009 with the scheme accommodating approximately 1,600 staff.