Secretly it has been open for more than two years, but today the new village hall of Zwanenburg was officially opened. With, among other things, a huge sports hall, an indoor library, a catering area with a spacious terrace and a luxurious billiard room, the new building is a major upgrade compared to the previous association building.
Village hall Zwanenburg finally officially opened – NH Nieuws
The village hall, which was designed by a renowned architectural firm, was largely financed by the Schiphol Living Environment Foundation. Due to corona, it has not yet come to an official opening, until today. “It was time for it to happen,” said an elderly Zwanenburger who, like dozens of fellow villagers, came to take a look.
The fact that such a spacious village hall could be built for a relatively small community like Zwanenburg is mainly due to its location in relation to the national airport. “We live here below the flight paths of Schiphol”, explains chairman of the board Wim Hut. “As a result, we are faced with ultrafine particles and noise pollution. To give an impulse to the quality of life here, money has been made available by the Schiphol Living Environment Foundation. This resulted in a plan that ultimately led to this building.”
Impulse for the sports associations
The local sports associations in particular are delighted with the new village hall. It has a large sports hall. “All ball sports, but also judo and badminton can all be taught here,” says chairman of the sports association Frank Gerritse with a big smile.
“We are very happy with it. In the previous building we only had a gym. Now we have four times as much space.” The billiards club is not complaining in the least: they have also been allocated a beautiful space. “It’s fantastic here”, beams Wim Juwett, chairman of the billiards association. “We have digital scoreboards, cue holders, carpet on the floor. What more could you want?”
“We fought hard for it, but there is something beautiful now”
It is not without a struggle that the new village hall was built. The arrival of the building was uncertain for a long time due to objectors and procedural errors. “We fought hard for it,” said Gerritse of the sports association. “But it has been worth it. There is something beautiful now and we are very proud of it.”
According to an elderly resident who witnessed the cutting of the ribbon as the moment of official opening outside, it should not have taken so long. “It’s a shame, it could have been a few years earlier,” he says. “Anyway, better late than never. And I’m hopeful that this property can last for the next fifty years.”