Vrijheidsmuseum Groesbeek was awarded Architecture MasterPrize with Shaded Dome

Shaded Dome is an innovation of Shaded Dome Technologies, founded by Royal HaskoningDHV, architectural firm ZJA and Polyned. The Freedom Museum has the shape of an enormous parachute, a recognisable symbol of the allied paratroopers that liberated the Netherlands during WO II. The flowing shape and skin of the Shaded Dome fit into the green, hilly landscape of Groesbeek. The museum wins the award in the 'Cultural Architecture' category.

Eye-catcher and part of the landscape 

The shape of the Shaded Dome in Groesbeek is that of an elongated dome made of light cloth, referring to the parachutes that filled the sky during Market Garden. The restaurant offers a view over the valley from which the allied divisions once left for Germany. The flowing form, use of materials and the skin, which evokes associations with the paratroopers, means that the Freedom Museum fits into this rolling landscape with winding roads and green views and the Canadian war cemetery. 

Air pressure carried hall 

The Shaded Dome, placed on a plinth with doors and windows, consists of a pressure-supported hall, a network of steel cables and a high-tech fabric roof with a large span. The dome consists of an insulated inner fabric and an outer fabric, which remain separated from each other with spacers. 
 
When the hall is inflated, these self-aligning spacers stand up and create an intermediate space (cavity) in which an airflow is naturally created that quickly and naturally dissipates the heat from the sun. Due to the two-layer construction of inner and outer fabric, with a 50 cm wide cavity in between, the Shaded Dome requires considerably less energy for a comfortable and healthy indoor climate compared to existing tents. 
 
The inflatable hall is completely supported by air pressure creating a column-free interior space of 2,400 m2 that can be freely divided. The Freedom Museum is almost 12 meters high at the highest point and has a free span of 60 meters, which means that the areas in the museum (incl. reception, museum café and exhibition space) can be structured freely and differently without great expense.  

Iconic museum in the green landscape 

The Shaded Dome is an iconic sustainable building with an optimal indoor climate, even in extreme weather conditions for a relatively small budget. In addition, the Shaded Dome makes efficient use of materials and techniques. 

Image copyright: ZJA