A Blend of Historic Story and Infrastructure: The Ringweg Zuid Groningen Project

A Blend of Historic Story and Infrastructure:
The Ringweg Zuid Groningen Project

BY GRAPHIC CONCRETE
03.12.2024

Kuva: Raymond Bos (WR Visuals & Media Raymond Bos Beeldnummer)

Syb van Breda & Co Architects is a leading architecture firm specialising in infrastructure. One of their most notable ventures is the Ringweg Zuid Groningen, a national-level project aiming to reshape a large area of Groningen. The goal is to create a greener, more sustainable environment while preserving the region’s historical stories and aesthetics.

The journey began in 2015 when Syb van Breda & Co Architects were invited to join the tender phase of this monumental project. The redesign aimed to maintain the historical significance of the area while blending modern infrastructure. A key challenge was integrating the rich history of Groningen with the new structural design—balancing green spaces, efficient roadways, and the city's legacy.

Urban Structural Works and Underpasses: Marrying Aesthetics and Functionality

The Aesthetic Program for the project defined two primary types of structures: urban structural works and underpasses. The urban structural works include viaducts over water and roads, making them prominent features of the city. These structures required finishes in the typical Groningen brick architecture style, preserving the region's visual heritage. In contrast, the underpasses were designed to be hidden in greenery, blending seamlessly into their surroundings, practically invisible from the cityscape.

A unique challenge was presented by the variety of structural forms—large and small, straight and curved, new and existing. To tackle this, the architects developed a smart tool kit that could fit any type of structural work. This toolkit combined the economic benefits of prefabrication with an almost artisanal, handcrafted appearance, bringing both beauty and efficiency to the construction process.

Photo credit: Syb van Breda

A Historical Narrative Through Graphic Concrete

One of the project’s most distinctive features was the integration of Graphic Concrete technology. Originally, the team sought a way to present historical images of Groningen—snapshots of different eras and stories that shaped the area. The challenge was to imprint these images on concrete surfaces in a way that was subtle yet powerful. After exploring various options, they found the ideal solution in Graphic Concrete, a technology that uses sheets of paper to transfer black-and-white images onto concrete surfaces.

Graphic Concrete allowed the architects to tell the stories of Groningen's past—pictures that couldn’t be seen in day-to-day life. The result was a series of panels depicting historical scenes that could only be fully appreciated from a distance, a design choice that aligns with the concept of viewing the past in perspective.

Happy Sisters of the Hospital: Canadian soldiers arriving after World War II, welcomed joyfully by the sisters at a local hospital.

Horse Racing Track: A nod to Groningen’s horse racing track, now out of use but once an important local venue.

Cheering Football Team: A moment of celebration when Groningen's local football team won a national match, a rare victory that the community still cherishes.

Ladies in Swimming Lessons: Women learning to swim in the local pool, now closed.

Original graphic image (Left) & Concrete Element (Right)
Photo credit: Syb van Breda

Old Map of Groningen: Historical depictions of Groningen’s landscape.

The project also included other types of concrete elements, such stickers applied to concrete surfaces, adding colour and vibrancy to the tunnels. This provided a stark contrast to the Graphic Concrete panels, creating different atmospheres while maintaining cohesion throughout the design.

Challenges and Triumphs in the Use of Graphic Concrete

While Graphic Concrete proved to be the perfect medium for telling Groningen’s stories, the journey wasn’t without its hurdles. Syb van Breda recalls their first part of project, which didn’t yield the desired results. Some panels came out uneven, with unclear images and inconsistent tones. With a great collaboration, the precaster took the initiative to remake and replace the panels, ensuring the final product met the project’s high standards.

Despite these challenges, Graphic Concrete succeeded in transferring even the oldest photos into stunning concrete art, highlighting the power of the technology. Syb van Breda emphasised its versatility and ease of use, noting how this simple method of applying images to concrete allowed them to convey complex narratives.

The Ringweg Zuid Groningen project is more than just an infrastructure initiative; it is a harmonious blend of history, art, and engineering. Through the use of Graphic Concrete, the architects were able to preserve and celebrate Groningen’s past while laying the groundwork for its future. Syb van Breda & Co Architects not only transformed a major roadway but also created a lasting monument to the stories that shaped the region.

In their hands, concrete became a canvas for history, art, and innovation, demonstrating how architecture can bridge the past and the present in truly creative ways.

Project information
Architecture: Syb van Breda, Nicolai Waterdrinker, Ruud Burger, Bastiaan Luijk, Vincenzo Venturini, Tom de Weijer, Alkistis Krousti, Alessia Saccoccio, Domenico Evangelista, Mark Ernst, Nick van Dorp, Giorgia Notaro, Wioleta Gaura-Rutowicz, Sabry Arfaoui, Dana Ibrahim
Color: Dark
Pattern: Designer's own pattern
Client: Rijkswaterstaat
Prefabrication: Vrijenban B.V. Zuidbroek
Collaboration: Max Bögl, Zueblin, Noord Nederlandse Wegenbouw Combinatie, wUrck, Witteveen + Bos
Address: Groningen, The Netherlands
Type: Infrastructure
Year: 2025-2022
Photo: Syb van Breda