ARCHITECTURE
Covering an area of no less than 55.000 m² and listed as a historic monument, De Meelfabriek is a major redevelopment project. The old buildings are being given a new lease of life and new buildings are being added. De Meelfabriek is a classic example of innovative regional development that respects heritage-listed assets and has a strong focus on sustainability.
Early in 2015 Studio Akkerhuis was appointed as the architect for the Meelfabriek complex, responsible for the overall design and execution of the different buildings. Judging by the plans of Studio Akkerhuis, De Meelfabriek is set to become a very special place in Leiden. The unique, historical character of the various buildings will be retained, and a clear design strategy will ensure that existing and new buildings have their own identity and are incorporated into the complex in a unique way. De Meelfabriek is thus ready to face a new future and is sure to capture the hearts of all those who live in and visit Leiden.
BART AKKERHUIS
Bart Akkerhuis is architect and founder of Studio Akkerhuis Architects, an architecture and design practice based in Paris. The studio’s team of 35 architects from 15 different countries forms a close-knit and collaborative group, united by a shared passion for architecture and design. Since its establishment in September 2014, the practice has grown rapidly and works internationally on a diverse range of high-profile projects. Its portfolio ranges from small-scale installations – such as a temporary 250-seat theatre constructed from bamboo – to Google’s headquarters in Paris and the transformation of De Meelfabriek in Leiden.
The studio is dedicated to creativity and originality while recognising the practical requirements involved in delivering architectural and design projects. It works across every stage of the design process, from concept design through to construction supervision. In close collaboration with clients and consultants, the team pays particular attention to detail and the development of bespoke solutions through a genuinely collaborative design process.
In 2016, the studio received the Design Vanguard Award from Architectural Record. It was also recognised at the prestigious World Architecture Festival Awards in 2019 and 2025 and received the Jury Prize at the Rijnlandse Architecture Prize in 2023. Bart Akkerhuis is a former partner at Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Studio Akkerhuis continues to collaborate with Renzo Piano Building Workshop on projects in Paris, Toronto and Monaco.
PIET OUDOLF
Piet Oudolf is widely regarded as the Netherlands’ most renowned landscape designer. His gardens and parks enjoy international acclaim, including celebrated projects such as the High Line in New York and Millennium Park in Chicago. He lives and works in Hummelo, in the province of Gelderland, together with his wife Anja. Oudolf is a leading representative of The Dutch Wave, a movement in landscape design inspired by natural plant communities, art and the passage of time through the seasons. He has received numerous honours, including the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund Award and the Maaskant Prize and was appointed Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau. In his distinctive style, Oudolf designed De Meelfabriek Tuin.
LOLA, PETER VEENSTRA
Peter Veenstra is co-founder of LOLA Landscape Architects, a practice dedicated to forward-thinking landscape architecture. It researches and designs spatial transformations within existing cultural landscapes. Through carefully considered ideas and targeted interventions, LOLA (LOst LAndscapes) seeks to transform these environments into beautiful, healthy and sustainable places. Creating unique experiences plays a central role in its work: landscapes that invite people to wander, discover, be surprised, enjoy and dream. The practice works on major landscape projects around the world, including the Singelpark in Leiden. Peter Veenstra regularly collaborates with Piet Oudolf on projects, including De Meelfabriek.
LOLA has received numerous awards, including the Young Maaskant Prize for Architecture and the Topas Landscape Award. In 2025, the design for De Meelfabriek Tuin was recognised by the Architecture MasterPrize, the World Landscape Architecture Awards and the Dezeen Awards, where it was respectively awarded Best of Best, Nominated and Longlisted.
JAN SPLINTER
After graduating with distinction from Delft University of Technology, Jan and a university friend set up an architectural practice in 1983, which became his own firm in 1988: Splinter Architecten BV. The practice expanded in the early 1990s after delivering the well-known award-winning residential building on Morsweg in Leiden and established an extensive portfolio in the years that followed. Besides special buildings, more than 3,000 homes have been built throughout the Netherlands. Splinter also works in the international market: for example, on an eco-park in London, built as a model of eco-living in the British residential construction sector. In 2008 he received the Spatial Quality Award from the Dutch province of South Holland. In his work he strives for clarity and precision, taking as his credo: ‘Simplicity is beautiful because it is authentic’. Splinter designed the DUWO buildings for De Meelfabriek.
PETER ZUMTHOR
Zumthor is known for the quality of his craftsmanship, drawing on that when choosing his materials and the way they will be used. His designs have some affinities with Swiss minimalism but stand out for their individuality and love of the countryside. The designer describes his approach as follows: ‘Architecture has its own realm. It has a special physical relationship with life. I do not think of it primarily as either a message or a symbol, but as an envelope and background for life, which goes on in and around it – a sensitive container for the rhythm of footsteps on the floor, for the concentration of work, for the silence of sleep.’ This renowned Swiss architect designed the original master plan for De Meelfabriek.
