Cobbenhagen Building

When the oldest building on campus was festively opened on November 13th, 1962, the slow and tedious progress of its building history had been all but forgotten. It had taken over twelve years for the creation of the architect Jos Bedaux to materialize. When town center accommodations became too small and student numbers too large, it was decided to relocate to the town’s undeveloped outskirts, as did other universities in the country. And so, on the recommendation of his brother-in-law, Professor Frans van der Ven, Bedaux was commissioned to design a new building. The first pile for its construction was sunk in 1959.

A long walk

Bedaux designed the building to resemble a long walk full of variegated experiences, with cloisters and patios and daylight coming in in different ways. Other characteristic ways in which Bedaux expressed modernity included the use of shellbearing limestone on the outside, Norwegian slate and marble, exposed brickwork, high and wide hallways and intimate courtyards. The building is greatly appreciated although some will grumble that it is not always easy to find your way around. The building has witnessed the arrivals and departures of countless numbers of officials, services and departments. One of its most permanent occupants is the University’s Executive Board. It has only been since 2002 that the building has been named after Cobbenhagen, the University’s founder. After 1971, it was called Building A, after the current Koopmans Building and the Goossens Building had been completed, which were called Buildings B and C until 2007 and were also designed by Bedaux, just like the Simon Building and the Sports Center.