N e t h e r l a n d s S t u d y T r i p
Travel to den Haag

As we rode the train out of Amsterdam, the densely-packed city melted away to elegant farm lands and fields of flowers. Along the train corridor, however, we passed pockets of dense housing, outcroppings of the city providing transportation to the urban centers for the work day.
Striking was the system of land drainage employed throughout the countryside. Channels filled with water separated pockets of field, and sheep and cows travelled by bridge from one polder to the next.
Stadhuis van den Haag
The Stadhuis van den Haag, designed in 1986 by Richard Meier, an American architect known for his geometrical architecture and prominent use of the color white.
Meier is influenced by Wright and Corbu, and it is said that he has furthered Corbu's ideas further than Corbu even had. Meier is also strongly influenced by boats and naval architecture
Verneniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten

The quotation I took away from our briefing sessions with Maarten Beks, the VNG policy advisor was "to do the most amount of work, make the most you can make with as little effort as possible." It was really interesting to see the ways in which the Netherlands has an overwhelmingly strong regional system of government. Essentially city-states, these municipalities meet in den Haag to discuss the issues that face each city, region and the country as a whole.
The VNG Headquarters, an international agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities. Their headquarters building was built by King William III as his stables. The building was later converted into a church and then even later converted into their office building.
The interior was just extensively remodeled. In the 1970s it was remodeled to include a central courtyard and atrium. They found it beneficial to change the atrium to give a more open plan to make it more functional and fluid.
des Gravenhage
Literally, the count's hedge. Den Haag is the governmental capital of the Netherlands. The juxtaposition of the old city and the new city is astounding. We also hopped on an inter-city bus to take us to the coastal city of Scheveningen because every spring break needs a visit to the beach.
Walking Tour of den Haag

The best part of the day was the walking tour of den Haag led by Professor Cor Dijkgraaf, former director of the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies at Erasmus University.
We started at Plein 1813 and the Prince William Frederick Statue, commemorating the Dutch victory over Napoleon's forces ending the French occupation.
We travelled through the 19th century commercial strip to Noordeinde Palace. Circled around and walked down the Lange Voorhout.
Then we made our way to the Hofvijver to view het Binnenhof. Our walking tour took us to the Old Square where the modern skyline looms over the historic heart of den Haag. Taking place in the square, Chinese laborers were protesting the limits on work visas in front of the Parliament Building.
Our tour ended inside the courtyard of het Binnenhof.
Het Binnenhof & Ridderzaal

The Binnenhof is a complex of buildings in The Hague that has been the meeting place of the States-General, the parliament of the Netherlands, since 1446, and has been the centre of Dutch politics for many centuries. Built mostly in the 13th century, the complex originally functioned as residence of the counts of Holland.Originally built as a ballroom, the Ridderzaal, or knight's hall, is a 13th century manorial hall built for Floris V. It's where the state opening of the Parliament is held each year, where the King reviews Parliament's plans for the year and grants them the power to proceed.
The timber frame of the hall's roof was incredible, reminiscent of an up-turned ship. And I guess if there's one thing the Dutch know how to build, it's ships.
Dutch Parliament​

The day ended with a trip to the modern Dutch Parliament Building. It was remarkable to see the place in which all of the major decisions of the Netherlands take place.
I found it really interesting that they kept a dictionary, a bible, and a Qur'an (something probably missing in the American system.)
