From Utrecht

A hidden gem in the heart of Leeuwarden's city center. Built in 1904 in the Art Nouveau style, packed with sayings, lavishly decorated, and brimming with symbolism. In 2021, it was meticulously fitted with high-quality contemporary additions. Open to the public!

Awarded the NRP Gulden Feniks Wildcard in November 2022!

A hidden gem in the heart of Leeuwarden's city center.
Built in 1904 in Art Nouveau style, packed with sayings, lavishly decorated, and brimming with symbolism. In 2021, it was carefully fitted with high-quality contemporary additions. Open to the public!

Recently, the national monument by architects Alexander Kropholler (1881-1973) and Jan Frederik Staal (1879-1940) was thoroughly renovated and expanded with a new annex. Interconnected tilted triangles connect the ground floor of the monument to the attic via the dormer window. A design by Borren Staalenhoef Architecten. On the exterior, the roof has been given a stunning skin of ceramic elements, developed in collaboration with Koninklijke Tichelaar Makkum. Bronze-glazed 'bowls' in five variations give the monument a futuristic twist, with a nod to the exuberance of Kropholler and Staal.

The building has been transformed into a mini-stage and presentation space for visual artists, designers, and writers. Around Het Platform, the new section in the center of the building, work is displayed by artists who engage in a dialogue with the building.

Once, certainties were sold in De Utrecht; now, uncertainties are embraced. Several times a year, an artist is invited to arrange the space according to their own vision and present new work created in dialogue with the idiosyncratic building. Regularly, De U presents a luxuriously designed book and a filmed documentary about the artist accompanying these specials. 

Those interested in the remarkable history and the opulent interior of the national monument, and visitors to the contemporary art exhibition are welcome on Friday and Saturday!

Please check the website first, as opening dates and times may vary when the exhibition changes. 

On the website www.deutrecht.frl book a time slot prior to your visit.
On the website you will also find the artist specials and the book. Additions, about the history of De U and the interventions made there by contemporary designers.