The new Holland Casino in Utrecht:

After a 10-year search, the appropriate location has been found

The new Holland Casino - along the A12 motorway - will be an eye-catcher. The gold-colored facade with exuberant lighting provides a spectacular accommodation. Inside, gaming enthusiasts will find everything their hearts desire: 40 gaming tables, 700 slot machines, an Experience Zone, called NXT, three bars and two restaurants are ready for an evening's experience.

The construction of the casino in Utrecht is part of Holland Casino's innovation strategy. In recent years it has opened establishments in Amsterdam, Groningen and Venlo. In Utrecht, the ball got rolling for Onis Vastgoed by chance. "We were working on the plot next door for Van der Valk," says Robert Holtkamp of Onis Vastgoed. "We knew that Holland Casino was looking for a location in Utrecht and realized that the new-build development along the A12 would be a perfect fit."

Extremely high demands

Now Holland Casino is no average business partner. The demands for its locations are high. They must be large, attractive, prominently present and easily accessible. Ample parking, a high degree of security and sustainability (BREEAM 'Excellent') are also among the tough requirements. "The search for a location in Utrecht has therefore been ongoing for over 10 years," confesses Geert Sipman, sr project manager Real Estate of Holland Casino. "It is definitely a challenge to fulfill all these conditions in one location. But at the location on the A12 it was possible."

The golden roof with thousands of lights makes the venue spectacular.

Negotiation and Development

Onis Vastgoed negotiated with the owner of the land in April 2016 and worked out the concept of the building with OZ Architects. It maintained contacts with the municipality, managed to change the zoning plan, among other things, and played a leading role in the development process for three years. "Three years sounds long," Holtkamp realizes. "But for a project of this caliber, it's short. Time was also running out. On the existing site, Holland Casino had to leave." In early 2019, the environmental permit was irrevocable and Bouwbedrijf Wessels Zeist was able to get to work.

Daily consultation

When asked by Bouwbedrijf Wessels Zeist about the construction challenges of the project, project leader René Kunstman stated that the entire project can be seen as a challenge. Even though Bouwbedrijf Wessels Zeist is realizing only the shell of the casino and the turnkey parking garage and Holland Casino is taking care of the finishing work itself. "Ultimately, the shell of the new building must connect to Holland Casino's built-in package," Kunstman explains. "This requires daily consultation." In addition, the building must be wind and watertight in time for Holland Casino to begin the finishing work on time." The decorative facade is complex and requires a special steel structure. Kunstman: "This is now engineered and in production; assembly begins at the end of June. The complex design has an impact on all parties involved. For example, the thermal shell is breached 125 times. Here, iso baskets absorb the forces of the facade. Quite a job for Van der Vorm engineering and steel supplier Hutten. In addition, everything has to be executed in such a way that it meets the wishes of the client and Holland Casino."

As complex as the project is, construction company Wessels Zeist's work is proceeding on schedule, and Kunstman anticipates leaving the site by the end of the year. After that, Holland Casino will take on the finishing and furnishing. The casino is expected to open around the summer of 2021.