On Monday, October 22, the Queen’s Commissioner Wim van de Donk opened our new MetaForum building. This was a major step in the transformation of our campus.

Previously the W Hall stood on the same spot; a hall which has seen a great number of experiments and where I also received my practical training. If you walked across the walkways, you saw a sea of machines: drilling, milling, lathes. It always smelled of oil. That was recognizable to its last moment.

Actually, the W Hall is still there and the walkways did return. Now if you look down, you will see the library, where students and staff silently search for knowledge with books, computers and workstations.

In addition, a new building has been built on top of it, housing the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. It floats above the W Hall. Inside it has a beautiful atrium, a grand staircase and a variety of places where people meet.

Much of the original steel structure from 1959 has been retained. Characteristic to the original construction are the elevated squares in the roof, allowing daylight to enter. They are preserved. This is how we combine an industrial heritage with new functions.

The hall of MetaForum also serves as a showcase of the Intelligent Lighting Institute. At present we are testing a power saving control for LED lighting. Its electronics respond to the people in the hall, and the lights are only used where needed. It is sustainable and innovative. Over the coming years other lighting systems will be trialed in this Living Light Lab. The campus is a great place to put our knowledge to the test and show it to the public.

The building has become really a beautiful place. We owe that to many people who have worked long days. I would especially like to thank Veronique Marks (Housing Department) and Jo van Ham (Executive Board). Thanks for the great effort in the past years to accomplish this!

Hans van Duijn
October 23, 2012