Bus Station Kronenburg
Arnhem South

“Design an iconic bus station.” An almost impossible request from the Municipality of Arnhem. Yet it was clear that something special was desired for this busy regional bus interchange in Arnhem South. 

The project forms part of “Kronenburg Vernieuwt”, a large-scale transformation in which a covered shopping center within a mixed residential and office district is being redeveloped into a combined area for living and retail. 

Kronenburg is a product of urban expansion in the 1970s, characterized by robust concrete architecture. Streets are laid out at a 45-degree angle, and buildings are cut along the same geometry. While distinctive, the area had become outdated and was in need of comprehensive renewal. 

The heavily worn regional bus station was selected as the first project to signal this transformation. As stated by the municipality, Arnhem South deserved a high-quality public project comparable to the prominent developments in Arnhem North. 

The core concept of the design is a roof plane positioned at a 45-degree angle. Above the platforms the roof is low, while above the bus lanes it rises high, connected in one continuous, undulating line. Colored glass creates dynamic light patterns on the platforms when the sun shines, while at night the roof illuminates through integrated, flowing lighting. The staircase connecting the pedestrian bridge to the platforms is designed in cross-section as a half-tube, with the balustrade and outward-flaring elements forming a single sculptural shape. The staircase is fully self-supporting, without a traditional stringer. 

The benches, designed by daughter and colleague Romy Kokke, are a technical tour de force: a closed, rolled form made from a single continuous element. The project was commissioned by the Municipality of Arnhem and financed by the Province of Gelderland. Its realization required close collaboration between designers, engineers (R2R,Iv) and builders (MCB Moors). It was an ambitious and adventurous project that demanded maximum commitment from everyone involved. The result is a distinctive and widely recognized public structure. The objective was achieved: Bus Station Kronenburg Arnhem is firmly on the map.