Binnenhof renovation costing 6 times more than budgeted, taking twice as long as planned
The massive renovation of the Binnenhof, the heart of Dutch politics in The Hague, is spiralling out of control. When parliament approved the plans, the cost was estimated at €500 million and the duration at five years. Currently, the renovation is costing six times more than planned and will take at least twice as long, the Volkskrant reports after speaking to several people involved.
When parliament reluctantly approved the original list of requirements for a “modest and efficient” renovation of the Binnenhof complex in 2015, 2017, and 2019, the goal was primarily to “improve fire safety.” But those plans did not include a modern concrete basement to securely house the Prime Minister’s IT infrastructure, so that they can work without foreign powers’ espionage and sabotage. The price tag for that basement is still unknown, but expected to be in the dozens of millions of euros. And the basement is only one of many adjustments made in recent years.
In the meantime, the estimated costs of the Binnenhof renovation have increased sixfold to nearly €3 billion, and the duration is twice as long. The goal is now to open the new Binnenhof in the spring of 2031. But even that is questionable. The latest progress report includes a list of the “top ten risks.” Topping that list the risk of more “design adjustments” resulting in “extra delays and costs.”
The Volkskrant spoke to three people involved in the renovations, anonymously because, officially, only the Minister of Housing is allowed to make statements about the renovations. All three said that the politicians who decided on the Binnenhof renovation “totally underestimated” what a massive job renovating such a large medieval complex would be.
In addition to several historical discoveries, which delay work while archeologists investigate and secure, builders also have to deal with logistical issues like large trucks not fitting through two narrow medieval gateways. There’s also a shortage of all the specialist craftsmen needed for the renovation. At one point, just about every available roofer in the Netherlands was needed to repair a Binnenhof roof.
“We are talking about the renovation of parts of the building dating back to 1500 or so,” one involved person said. “But this project was approached as if it were a normal 21st-century building. That is the structural flaw. As a result, far too little has been budgeted and time scheduled.”
“They underestimated this project and talked it down ot a cheap price,” another involved person said. “In that respect, the Binnenhof renovation is a textbook example of how things can go wrong.”
Housing Minister Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan (D66) will discuss the Binnenhof renovations with the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, in its temporary accommodations today.
