Right in the heart of The Hague’s city centre, a major new university building opened its doors in February 2026: Universiteitscampus Spui. Renovation transformed the former department store into a shared academic environment for around 4,000 students and staff from Universiteit Leiden, TU Delft, Open Universiteit, LUMC and Universiteiten van Nederland.

From department store to university building

From department store to university building.

Through a large-scale renovation and the addition of a new volume, the former retail property has been transformed into a fully functioning university building. The main entrance has been restored to its original position on Spui, marked by the monumental façade. From there, warm wooden staircases guide visitors up through the building.

What were once closed floor plates typical of a department store have been completely opened up. By opening floors and roof, adding new windows to the façades and introducing generous multi-storey openings, daylight and cohesion have been brought back into the heart of the structure.

The building now features a modern interior with a high degree of transparency and offers flexible study and workspaces, a university library, teaching rooms, seminar rooms and lecture halls. The restaurant on the second floor opens onto an outdoor terrace, while the sixth floor also includes exterior space. Fitness and sports centre Beehive is prominently located at street level in the new extension. Next to the main entrance, a passageway leads to an underground bicycle parking facility with space for more than 1,300 bicycles.

Working alongside other universities

University Campus Spui creates space for distinctive inter-university collaboration. Two new large Dutch-taught bachelor’s programmes will be launched in The Hague: Economics & Society and Cyber Security & Cyber Crime. Other education and research activities closely align with The Hague’s profile as the international city of peace and justice, as well as with its metropolitan, national and international character.

University Campus Spui is one of five Universiteit Leiden locations in The Hague, all situated in the heart of the city within walking distance of one another.

Grote Markt Climate Deal

Both CBRE, the property owner, and Universiteit Leiden are signatories to the Climate Deal The Hague, an initiative focused on the Grote Marktstraat area and its surroundings. The aim is to make better use of rooftops as part of the sustainability transition in the already densely built city centre.

The roof of the Spui building, for example, accommodates solar panels, areas of greenery and a pleasant terrace. The Climate Deal forms part of the broader Haags Klimaatakkoord