Plan to turn former Arnhem dome prison into a hotel and apartments

The Koepelgevangenis in Arnhem is set to be transformed into a hotel with 137 rooms, as well as 50 apartments, and various commercial functions, according to the draft zoning plan presented by the mayor and college of aldermen in a letter to the city council on Tuesday.

The Koepelgevangenis is a former dome prison in Arnhem completed in 1886. It is one of three Panopticon-style prisons located in the country, along with the one in Haarlem and Breda.

Since ceasing to function as a prison in 2015, the Arnhem prison has faced redevelopment challenges due to its status as a partial monument and its location amid residential neighborhoods. This has complicated efforts to repurpose the complex.

“For the preservation of this large complex, it is essential that the buildings be given a new use. Vacancy leads to deterioration, and that threatens this monumental complex,” Mayor Ahmed Marcouch wrote in the letter.

The proposed zoning plan will enable the construction of 50 apartments and a hotel with 137 rooms, alongside various commercial facilities, including a restaurant, meeting spaces, work units, a Prison Experience, and an assembly area.

A public space will also be created in the inner courtyard. “This plan presents opportunities for a green, nature-inclusive, and climate-resilient development,” the letter reads.

According to Marcouch, the new plans are well-aligned with the historical value of the former prison. “A new phase is emerging, in which the monumental complex will be properly showcased and become more accessible for people to experience,” he stated. The council will make a final decision about the Koepelgevangenis in the first half of 2024.

Last year, the former Haarlem dome prison was transformed into a higher education institution.