Spui Campus opens its doors: ‘Today’s the big day’
Opening image: Arash Nikkhah
A gold carpet welcomed students, staff and curious locals into Spui Campus on Monday 2 February. What was once the V&D department store has been transformed into a unique open knowledge centre.
‘Beautiful’, ‘huge, ‘stunning’ people say as they explore the new building. Timo Kos, Vice President of the Executive Board, who visited several times during the renovation, is as impressed as everyone else. ‘The vistas and views still take me by surprise. A building that used to be incredibly dark is now full of light, making it a wonderful place to study and work. I’m so pleased it’s finally open. Spui Campus is a tremendous asset for the university.’
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The first students enter Spui Campus. -
An exhibition at the entrance tells the story of the building: from a V&D department store in 1929 to its redevelopment into Spui Campus in 2026. -
Timo Kos: ‘Spui Campus is a tremendous asset to the university.’
Beautiful and modern
The gold carpet leads to a wide staircase that takes them up to the lecture halls on the first floor, where a conservatoire band greets students and staff with live music. Nearby, public administration student Sahil Kehri poses for a photo in the booth as a memory of his first day at Spui Campus. He particularly likes the wooden finishes everywhere. But a new building always takes some getting used to. ‘I’ve been studying in Wijnhaven for over three years, and that feels like our place. I’m curious to see what it’s like here, but it definitely looks beautiful and modern.’
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In the photo booth, public administration student Sahil Kehri (r) creates a memory of his first day. -
The first lectures started in The Hague. -
Students take a photo in the photo booth.
Close to the action
As the morning goes on, the queue for a free cup of coffee grows, and more visitors wander through the rooms. On the rooftop terrace, people take selfies with the Hague skyline behind them.
Director of the Bachelor’s programme in Economics and Society, Philippe van Gruisen, is thrilled that his students will be studying right in the heart of the city. They are among the first to have a lecture here today. ‘We’re right next to the House of Representatives. For a general economics student, you can’t get closer to the action than this. You look straight out onto the Binnenhof.’
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While Ferdy Poppelier and Erwin Muller give their speeches, students make their way to lectures. -
Philippe van Gruisen: ‘For a general economics student, you can’t get closer to the action than this.’ -
Leiden University, TU Delft, the Open University, the LUMC and the Universities of the Netherlands are all have a presence at Spui Campus. -
There was cake for everyone at the opening.
Lectures during speeches
Such a moment wouldn’t be complete without a speech. While Erwin Muller, Vice-Rector and Director of Campus The Hague, says how proud he is to add ‘this gem’ to the university, groups of students walk past him on the stairs on their way to their lectures. ‘The students just carry on,’ he laughs. This is exactly what the building is meant for. Project leader Ferdy Poppelier, who has spent five years working on the project, breathes a sigh of relief: ‘We’ve made it. Today’s the big day.’
Spui Campus users
Spui Campus is in the political and administrative centre of the Netherlands. Leiden University will be working with the LUMC, Delft University of Technology, the Open University and the Universities of the Netherlands to make research and teaching tangible and accessible to all.