Van Gelder Taste Valley is the design for the new building of van Gelder Vegetables and Fruit at the Foodcenter Reijerwaard Ridderkerk. A unique Food Experience Center with Rooftop Greenhouse creates a powerful entity with the logistical main building. In a closed competion, van Bergen Kolpa Architects designed this iconic building that gives van Gelder a prominent place in the Greenport between the Markethall and the Europoort.
Van Gelder Fruit and Vegetables is a hypermodern family business with a rich tradition. In order to accommodate the growth of the company, 45,000m2 of new construction has been chosen with a sustainable and innovative appearance.
Efficient headquarters
The new building for Van Gelder consists of a main building and a food experience center. The main building with vegetable and fruit cutting on the first floor and expedition on the ground floor forms the logistic core of the building. The efficient hall structure of the main building has a sober and efficient design. On the representative entrance sides and on the roof of the main building, the Experience Center with reception rooms and Rooftop Greenhouse is situated. The total is wrapped in a sheet metal profile cladding with a glass top and a Venlo Greenhouse roof.
Experience in the Taste Valley
Heart of the Food Experience Center is the van Gelder Taste Valley. A spectacular space inserted over the full height of the building with rising food terraces that open into the Rooftop Greenhouse. Here, the vegetable and fruit assortment of Van Gelder is grown, tested and tasted. The tropical, Mediterranean and moderate climate zones are carefully classified on crops; from peppers to pears, from avocado to strawberry. The adjacent cooking studio on the top floor offers an intense taste experience for the visitors. In the Food Fair on the ground floor, exhibitions and congresses take place. The intermediate floors with offices, auditoria and restaurant all have a view on the Taste Valley.
Operations in climate zones
The differences in climate between the chilled building with cutting and expedition (5-6C), the offices (18-20C), the experience center and the nursery (15-35C) require a well-appointed climate zoning. The layout is designed to ensure the well-being of employees and visitors and the energy performance remains optimal.
Bream and future orientation
With the new building, van Gelder aims for a high degree of sustainability for the future: Breaam excellent. For this reason, various innovations have been used as large and flexible structural spans, (re) use of residual heat for the nursery from cooling, full (re) use of process and rainwater as irrigation water for the nursery and the integration of energy generation with a Glass PV roof and fermentation of the cutting waste.
Client: Van Gelder Vastgoed bv
Project: 30,400 m2 expedition, cutting, offices, staffing facilities, experience center 15.200 m2 dakwekerij, 27.000 m2 terrain facility
Location: Foodcenter Reijerwaard Ridderkerk
Construction budget: 29 mi. euro
Planning: final selection 2016
Construction engineer: ABT Engineers
Horticulture and Ecology: Wageningen UR Horticulture
Breeam assessment: ABT Engineers
Greenhouse technology: Smiemans projects
Building management: Van Vliet Bouwmanagment