Photo: www.gooienvechthistorisch.nl (SAGV077)
Contemporary Architecture
Although the city limits were reached around 1990, this does not mean that new buildings will no longer be built. From the 1990s, former industrial estates make way for (limited) new housing estates and companies and offices move from the center to new business parks on the outskirts of the city. The Omroepkwartier is undergoing a metamorphosis and becomes Media Park. New, sometimes striking architecture with different functions is being built in vacant places in the city. It is difficult to determine what the future monuments of Hilversum will be. It is certain that Hilversum, as a city of young monuments, has a reputation to uphold.
Urban planning
After the enormous population growth in the Reconstruction Period, the population declined considerably in the decades that followed. However, housing demand remained high due to smaller households and the need for housing improvements. But after the last major urban expansions, the border with the heath was reached and further expansions were hardly possible. Hilversum had to seek refuge in densification or building of open spaces in the city. This is how new neighborhoods arose such as Acacia Park (1996-2010), Seinhorst (1998-2000) and Villa Industria (2004-2016).
City centre
The central area around the Kerkbrink underwent an extensive renovation. At the end of the 20th century, the Gooische Brink shopping arcade, catering, housing and an underground parking garage were built around the site of the former Hof van Holland, designed by architect Hans Ruijssenaars, who also designed the extension of Museum Hilversum, located in the former town hall, designed. New buildings appeared in the station area in the form of the high-rise Entrada Urban Living (2012). The station area will be overhauled again in 2021-2022.
Offices and companies
Due to the increasing size of the service sector, office parks appeared on the outskirts of the city and existing industrial estates expanded. The Arena Park was developed on the former grounds of the Paarden Sport Vereniging Hilversum, with Nike as the largest employer (from 1997). Dudok’s municipal sports grandstand from 1928 fits in well with this sporty environment. Expansion took place on the existing business park on Franciscusweg and Nieuwe Havenweg.
Media Park
The largest office park in Hilversum is the Media Park, which originated from the Omroepkwartier in 1995. This is where the offices, studios and related buildings of the broadcasters are located. Modern, striking buildings such as Villa VPRO and the head office of the NTR, both realized in 1997 by MVRDV architects, or the building for the Media Authority (1998-2001) by architect Koen van Velsen, appeared on the site. In 2006, the striking building of the Institute for Sound and Vision by Neutelings Riedijk Architects appeared at the entrance to the Media Park.
Iconic architecture
Since the 1990s, a number of iconic buildings have appeared that accommodate various functions. This includes the office building on Bonairelaan by American architect Richard Meier (1992), the former AKN building by architect Jan Hoogstad on ‘s-Gravelandseweg (2000), the Filmtheater Hilversum by MOST+ARC2 on Herenplein (2007) or the Poppodium De Vorstin on Koninginneweg by De Architecten Cie (2009). That there are many more to mention is apparent from the nominations for the biennial Hilversum Architecture Prize, an award instituted in 2009 with the aim of promoting the quality of the architecture, urban design and landscape design of Hilversum.