Dag van de Architectuur

The national theme of Architecture Day 2025 is “in transition.” In Maastricht, we explore the city’s transition toward more greenery and sustainability, with visits to various new or renovated buildings.

This year’s theme challenges us to look ahead. How do we create homes that generate energy instead of consuming it? How can we repurpose vacant buildings so that demolition becomes a thing of the past? And how do we protect our cities from flooding in a changing climate? One thing is clear: the way we use space needs to change radically. And that change has already begun.

The Netherlands is on the move. But how do we turn ideas into reality? According to transition expert Jan Rotmans, it starts with overcoming our fear of the unknown. By showing what is possible, we make the future tangible. On this day, we invite you to see, hear, and even taste that future.

Be surprised by openings of transformed buildings, a city walk through green spaces, and renewed projects offering insight into Maastricht’s evolving living environment. Discover how architecture contributes to a more sustainable, greener, and more resilient city.

Come, see, listen, and join the conversation about the future of our city and our country. We warmly invite you to explore what transition looks like—through stone, space, and experience.

Architecture Day is organized in collaboration between TOPOS, the Municipality of Maastricht, and Bureau Europa.

10:00 uur: Opening

The opening is at 10 AM in the Waalse Kerk (Sint Pieterstraat 6) with an interview of Johan Pas.

11:00 AM – 4:00 PM: Projects

Adaptive Reuse of the Former KPN Building, Maastricht

CB5 Architecten
Achter de Oude Minderbroeders 1

The former KPN building—a distinctive and striking structure from the 1930s designed by Joseph Crouwel, located in Maastricht’s historic center—is being given a new lease on life. In this adaptive reuse project, both the original 1930s section and the 1960s extension are fully preserved. Even the underground atomic bunker is carefully integrated into the new design. The building is being transformed into a contemporary live-work complex featuring 82 apartments and studios in a variety of types and sizes, combined with shared workspaces and communal areas.

Waalse Kerk (Walloon Church)

ArCharis Architecture
Sint Pieterstraat 6 (entrance around the corner on Tafelstraat)

The Waalse Kerk in Maastricht, with its rich history, monumental architecture, and central location in the city’s urban fabric, is a striking example of cultural heritage. Originally established in 1732 by French Huguenots, it was the city’s first Protestant church. Over the centuries, the church has undergone various transformations but has always remained a place of refuge and gathering—for both locals and international communities.

Recently, hidden cellars and gravestones have been discovered, adding a new layer to the church's storied past. Guided by the vision of its current users, the renovation aims to revitalize the building while honoring its historical essence. The motto “welcome, embrace, revitalize” reflects the soul of the church, now being reinterpreted to meet the evolving needs of the community.

Phase 1 of the renovation—restoring the consistory, side entrance on Tafelstraat, and construction of a new rear annex—has been completed. This transformation turns the Waalse Kerk into not only a dynamic space but also an inclusive and vibrant meeting place for a new generation of visitors.

Kleine Looiersstraat 16 – Collector’s Room

Jo Janssen Architecten
309 HSM Collector’s Room

The desire to create a collector’s room has been realized through a rooftop addition on top of the one-story garage/garden room attached to Kleine Looiersstraat 16, a former warehouse dating back to 1876. The garden-facing side continues the design language of the existing garden room by Jo Coenen, while the street-facing façade refers to bay windows typical of large urban homes in cities like Paris, Zurich—and Maastricht.

Fortification “De Vijf Koppen”

HVN Architecten
Guided tours by the architect at 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 PM
Groups of max. 30 people – first come, first served.
Meeting point: on top of the round bastion (rondeel). The architect will guide you via the internal staircase to the lower floor. During opening hours, visitors may explore the bastion interior, but the stairs to the casemate are only accessible with a guided tour.

Discover the recently restored fortification “De Vijf Koppen”! After a section of the city wall collapsed in 2019, it has been carefully repaired, and the interior of the bastion has been made accessible once again. Visitors can now walk along the battlements, peer through the gun slits, and explore the historic casemate and fortress tower. A unique opportunity to experience 500 years of military history and admire the craftsmanship behind the restoration.
Guided tours will be provided by Jos Nijssen and Bas van de Moosdijk of HVN ARCHITECTEN.

11:00 AM – 4:00 PM: Green in the City

Walking Tour through Maastricht: From Vijf Koppen to the Singels

The light plays on the façades and greenery of Maastricht—it’s the perfect moment to explore the city with a green perspective. Maastricht is in motion, greening in places where you might not expect it. Our walk begins at De Vijf Koppen.

Starting Point: De Vijf Koppen

Located just outside the old city walls, De Vijf Koppen once served as a strategic lookout. Today, surrounded by the city park, it feels like a place where history and nature embrace each other. Greenery has existed here for centuries: as early as 1706, a promenade called De Boompjes stretched between the former Our Lady’s Gate and the Meuse. This early version of the city park featured neatly aligned trees. During the 1831 Siege of Maastricht, the trees were removed to create a drill ground. Afterwards, the park was redesigned in the English landscape style, with winding paths, a pond (called a grenouillère, or “frog bath”), and a greater variety of plants, including rare trees. A coffeehouse and a bandstand once stood here. Locals called it d’n Ingelsen Hoof, while its official name from 1837 onward was Stadswandelpark.

What’s striking is how freely nature now grows here. Where once wagon tracks lay and soldiers marched, wildflowers like cow parsley and daisies now bloom. Maastricht has chosen to let this area develop naturally, promoting biodiversity: butterflies flutter among the flowers, bees buzz busily, and in the distance, a green woodpecker calls.

Across the Kennedy Bridge

The walk continues toward the Kennedy Bridge, which links the historic city center with the modern district of Céramique. Here, you can feel the power of the ever-moving Meuse River. The bridge, built in the 1960s, was once purely functional—but in recent years, thinking has shifted. At its base, new green strips have appeared: young trees, flower mixes specially selected to attract insects, and even birdhouses on lampposts. The city has learned: concrete and asphalt alone don’t make a livable city. The Meuse, as a lifeline, offers not only water but now new nature as well.

As we cross the bridge, the view opens wide. To the left is the centuries-old Saint Servatius Bridge; to the right, the modern buildings of Céramique. In between, the winding river reflects the sky. On the opposite bank, we’re greeted by the striking Bonnefanten Museum. The city plans to improve pedestrian access to the Kennedy Bridge from the riverbanks—an enhancement that would make for a beautiful promenade along the Meuse.

Between Art and Nature: The Bonnefanten

The Bonnefanten Museum is a landmark along the river, with its iconic silver dome designed by Aldo Rossi. But take a look at the front of the building as well: a new garden now stretches before it. No more neatly mowed lawns, but a mix of wildflowers, herbs, grasses, and a pond—together forming a blueprint of Meuse ecology. The garden was designed by Stefan Cools and Sandra van den Beuken at the museum’s request. Soon, the museum will consider turning this temporary garden into a more permanent feature.

Along the Singels: A Ribbon of Green

We turn back toward the center of Wyck, along the old Singels—once part of the city’s fortifications, later transformed into traffic routes. In recent decades, their purpose has evolved once again: from gray corridors to green lungs of the city.

The renewed singels are wide, open, and robustly planted. Whenever the city sees an opportunity, it reclaims space for greenery, replacing stone with plants. Recently, Percéeplein was greened by relocating bike racks and reintroducing trees and plantings.

Final Destination

We leave the singels behind and cross the Meuse again via the Saint Servatius Bridge. In the distance, we see the Kennedy Bridge once more—and further downstream, the rolling hills that surround Maastricht.

The walk ends in the Boschstraat Quarter, at Lakenweversplein, where new trees have been planted. The neighborhood, in collaboration with the municipality, has embraced greening. Alongside other community initiatives—made possible through participatory budgeting—Maastricht is slowly but surely transforming into a greener, healthier city.