Developments Humanities Campus: Renovation of De Vrieshof starts and changed plans Lipsius South
There are some changes in the plans for the development of the Humanities Campus. The Faculty of Humanities along with the central organisation and the Real Estate department need to save costs due to the financial challenges at the faculty and the cuts in higher education. At the same time, we still have to modernise our buildings and make them more sustainable to ensure that our faculty remains future-proof and attractive.
In this article we would like to give you an update on the current state of affairs and announce the latest building name on the campus. We also invite you to visit one of the walk-in sessions about the Humanities Campus, where you can ask questions about all the developments.
Start of design process for renovation of Matthias de Vrieshof
The realisation of Cluster North (the current Matthias de Vrieshof) is the next step on the schedule. The design process will begin this year, followed by the start of renovation work in 2026. To limit costs and build on the experiences with the Herta Mohr, the building will be renovated as a shell. The existing structure will be retained, but the facade will be renewed. The new building is scheduled for completion in 2028, after which the new occupants can move in. After completion, Cluster North will house LUCL, part of LUCAS, the Academic Language Centre (ATC), the Institute for the Dutch Language (INT), various educational spaces, and lab spaces. The future users of the building will be involved to provide input in the design process in the coming months.
And the new name is…
Cluster North will also have a new name. During the renovation of the Herta Mohr, staff were given the opportunity to vote for their preferred name for the building. Most votes went to Herta Mohr, but the second name on the list also received many votes. The Faculty Board and the Executive Board have decided to give this name to Cluster North. From now on, this building will be known as: Aleida Nijland.
Aleida Nijland (1870-1950) was the first female PhD candidate at Leiden University and the first female Dutch Doctor in the Humanities. She advocated improving the position of women in the labour market. Nijland spent part of her youth in Batavia and later studied Humanities in Leiden, where she graduated cum laude in 1896. She worked on the National Exhibition of Women's Labour on the theme 'Women and their Studies' and taught for 34 years at girls' high schools and the Municipal Lyceum in Amsterdam. As a Dutch scholar, she focused on Guido Gezelle and Joost van den Vondel, about whom she published a biography shortly before her death.
A sustainable campus
Sustainability remains an important ambition. In 2025, following the Herta Mohr, the buildings on the Doelen side will also be connected to the Thermal Energy Storage system (WKO). This is a sustainable energy supply that uses groundwater as a medium for energy storage. The work is expected to start in August 2025. More information about the schedule and what the work will mean for staff and students will follow in the coming months.
Revised plans for Lipsius South
According to the original plans, after the completion of the Herta Mohr, the development of Cluster North, Reuvens, and Lipsius South were still on the schedule. The current Lipsius is planned to be demolished in 2031, and in its place, a smaller student facilities building – Lipsius South – and a green meeting place connected to the Singelpark route were to be realised. Lipsius South has now been cancelled. This means that the Humanities Campus will have one building less than originally planned, and Real Estate will achieve significant savings.
The square metres lost by not constructing Lipsius South will be accommodated in the other buildings on the campus. University-wide, Real Estate is also investigating how all faculties and the central organisation can use the available square metres more efficiently.
Walk-in sessions Humanities Campus
In February, we will organise three walk-in sessions for staff and students about the developments on the Humanities Campus. If you want to know more or have questions, visit us on 4, 11, and 18 February from 11:00 to 12:00 at the information desk in the central hall of the Lipsius. You can also ask your questions via hc-info@hum.leidenuniv.nl.