TU/e receives a handsome price for the sale of the Bunker, but none of the parties involved wish to divulge the exact figure. Bernard Colenbrander, full professor of Architectural history, is especially pleased with the agreements that were made concerning the preservation of the building made from rough concrete, which he describes as “Maaskant at his toughest.”

The block-like, geometrical, repetitive forms are typical characteristics of the architectural style known as Brutalism. The building was designed by Hugo Maaskant, who worked during the post-war reconstruction years and is most famous for the Euromast in Rotterdam. But, Colenbrander says, hardly any mention is made of the Bunker in any of the biographies and catalogues on this architect from Rotterdam.

“Entering into a discussion on this issue with architect Power House Company was quite a delicate matter, but as chairman of the Quality commission I was given the opportunity after mediation from Veronique Marks, who was director of Real Estate Management at the time,” Colenbrander says. “I had made a value assessment together with full professor Christian Rapp at an earlier stage, but we’re dealing with a commercial project here in which TU/e no longer plays a role. That’s entirely different from renovating a building on campus for a new usage, as was done successfully with Atlas.”

Characteristics

Colenbrander is pleased that the Bunker’s characteristic appearance remains intact, even though a 100 meters high residential tower will be built on top. “Only a quarter of the building, on the west side where the cafeteria was located, needs to be demolished for this purpose. The building may not be a monument, it is nevertheless of great historical value to the student associations that were located there. The university has a kind of moral obligation towards the building, and the Executive Board eventually agreed.”

The full professor says his involvement led to some adjustments to Power House Company’s original plan, which he describes as “somewhat reckless.” Colenbrander: “The base of the building was widened somewhat, making the connection with the tower more harmonious, and the tower’s façade fits very well with the Bunker’s appearance. Now let’s hope this finds its way into the final implementation.”