Historically, university buildings did exhibit a certain prestigious identity, as seen in the campus in Oxford for instance. Identity is shaped by the combination of behavior, communication, and appearance. Its meaning is determined by the collective, not the individual (Grouls et al., 2007). Similar like the clothes we wear, buildings we occupy say something to the outside world about the people we are. University buildings exemplify this idea of identity. (Sun, 2017). Different identities of university buildings, primarily arising from the physical setting and spatial characteristics, result from a varied mix of 'solid' (traditional), 'liquid' (flexible), and 'gas' (on demand) composition (Den Heijer, 2021). The study sheds light on the impact of the contemporary architectural identity of various universities, which often remains limited to the internal program and aesthetics of university buildings. However, today the distinctive features of these faculties, that in general are mainly only accessible for the affiliated students, are scarcely found inside most of these structures. The banality in the aesthetics of those ‘solid’ academic architecture, often characterized by monotonous glass facades - as for instance observed in the AvB Tower, near the Prins Clauslaan in the Hague - disrupts the identity of university buildings.
References indicate that currently a lot of methods of university construction detract from the prestige and distinctive characteristics of the faculties and other internal university functions, which were previously expressed with ornamental interventions, programmatic peculiarities, or other unique architectural ingenuities. In general, the facade is one of the most crucial elements, perhaps the most important one, for the representation and identity of those occupying the building, as well as for the identity of the city (Jurgenhake, 2016). Functions behind the facades are hardly recognizable today due to this aesthetical anonymity. Only the large signs with the names of the respective universities reveal what is happening behind the facades. This increasing anonymity of these university buildings and the negatively reduced dialogue between the urban environment and its associated social cohesion downplays interaction between users. The overall identity of university buildings must become more ‘liquid’ and ‘gas’, where universities are more flexible, shared and filled with opportunity and openness to the outside world (Den Heijer, 2021). A search to a good balance between solid, liquid and gas must be the goal.
The Hague Central Innovation Dirstrict (CID) will be the location for the future vertical campus. This location becomes even more significant when considering The Hague’s future vision of densification. The Hague, like many cities, is increasingly focusing on making better use of its limited urban space by densifying key areas. The CID has been identified as one of the city’s main hubs for innovation and development, with plans to integrate more offices, residences, and academic institutions to make it a more vibrant district. The negative impact on social cohesion is exacerbated by the surrounding governmental buildings along Prins Clauslaan, which, with their isolated (archipelago) structure, create a detached and solid identity. Additionally, the Utrechtsebaan highway acts as a traffic barrier, dividing the Centraal Station area and Bezuidenhout neighbourhoods. This results into a strong individualism and isolation, not only among the building typology, but also the people who occupy the buildings and the surrounding neighbourhoods. It is crucial for social bonding to get rid of this barriers and to have a public condenser, where the people of these ministries, neighbourhoods and campus can physically connect.
Moreover, interviews conducted in this area also reveal that various target groups emphasize the absence of diversity in building functions and spaces for playing, learning, and socializing. Therefore, the design aims to navigate university identity through a vertical campus with a flexible solid-liquid-gas composition, expressing with the ambition to include both a partly public and university identity. It This strategy intends to function as a hybrid urban condenser catering to diverse target groups within the connected neighbourhoods of the the Hague Central Innovation District, where individuals of all ages can engage and live together. To establish a vibrant central educational hub that unifies diverse these neighbourhoods and students, the design will prioritize diversity, visibility, interaction, adaptability, flexibility and movement, fostering an environment to play, learn, and socialize together.