Platform on new construction, renovation, restoration and transformation
After a devastating fire in 2020, sports and events complex De Schelft is getting a new future. In Noordwijkerhout, contractor De Vries en Verburg is building a multifunctional accommodation with a competition pool, catering facilities and flexible spaces for sports, culture and meetings. The construction requires precision, teamwork and a sustainable view of the future.
The Schelft was originally built in the 1980s. Although it was now obsolete, the sports complex was still in full use. After the fire in 2020 rendered the building unusable, it was completely demolished in 2023. What remained was an empty lot with a common wish of all of Noordwijkerhout: a new complex.
That new accommodation includes a 15-by-25-meter competition pool with six lanes, a cascading space on the second floor that can be rented out, a small catering facility and the possibility of adding a sports hall at a later date. The design offers flexibility for a variety of activities as well as space for meetings. Project Manager Mark de Mik of De Vries en Verburg explains that the choice for new construction was not a foregone conclusion. “There were first consultations about what should come back: only a swimming pool or also a sports hall,” he explains. In the end, the Noordwijk municipality opted for a multifunctional set-up. “The tender for the swimming pool ran through 2024. We won it and started the realization immediately in 2025.”
Implementing a swimming pool presents specific challenges, De Mik emphasizes. “Swimming pools are very different from commercial or office buildings. Here, of course, the entire concrete container has to be watertight. And as a contractor you are involved for longer: you also build the entire project. ”In the design, wood construction plays a striking role: the columns around the pool and the beams in the pool consist of laminated wood. According to De Mik, this fits well with the combination of chlorine and structural materials. “Chlorine and steel don't always go together, with wood they do. That makes the project interesting and beautiful to make.”
Concrete work requires special attention. The standing and grab edges and overflow gutters around the pool must be completely watertight. “That requires a lot of focus from the concrete crew. Fortunately, we have seen few problems,” De Mik said. Condensation control also needs extra attention in a project like this. Especially in winter, the temperature difference between the warm indoor climate and the cold outdoor air can sometimes differ by as much as 45 degrees. “You then have to have a sharp sense of where the dew point is. It forces you to think about details differently.”
Sustainability is paramount at De Schelft. The complex will have a heat pump system and its own energy storage system. It may also be connected to district heating at a later stage.
The construction time is tightly planned: within 14 months, the project should be realized. The original completion date was the end of April 2026, but through efficient cooperation with the parties involved, the beginning of April 2026 is now set as the new milestone. De Mik praises the short lines of communication with installation partners Vink Installatiegroep and Hellebrekers, Slangen+Koenis Architects and the Noordwijk municipality, among others. “If a decision is needed, it goes quickly. Everyone is not working for themselves, but for the best end result. That helps enormously.”
According to him, this attitude contributes to a pleasant collaboration as well as a faster construction process: “You really notice a trend in the team that everyone is willing to do something for someone else. That's the best way to build.”
