The Gasunie Building is one of the most famous buildings in Groningen, Netherlands. It was built as a headquarters for Gasunie and was officially opened on 22 April 1994 by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.[1] The building has 18 floors and is Шаблон:Convert high, which makes it the third tallest building in Groningen, the first being the Martinitoren.[2] It is in the south of the city, on the edge of the Stadspark and right next to the main highways.[3]
The old Gasunie building facilities could not meet the needs of growing number of the employees. After evaluation of economic and practical issues, it was decided to build a new building was made. The project started in 1989 with selecting a suitable site and creating a list of requirements, which architects should have implemented in their proposals.Шаблон:Citation needed
The design of the building was developed by Alberts and Van Huut architects bureau and is considered to be a great example of ‘organic building’.[4] There are two distinct parts in the building: high-rise section with offices and low-rise section with meeting rooms and service facilities. One of the main features of the building is its unique stairwell with glass ‘waterfall’ which is Шаблон:Convert high and Шаблон:Convert wide. The floors of the building are visually linked by this glass wall, which creates a sense of unity and space.
