Binnenhof

Built primarily in the 13th century, the Gothic castle originally functioned as residence of the counts of Holland and became the political centre of the Dutch Republic in 1584.

Presumably, the grounds next to the Hofvijver lake, and the small homestead on it, were purchased by Count Floris IV of Holland from Meiland van Wassenaar in November 1229.

At the end of the wall on the left, near the Hofvijver, the court chapel was built, and near that the Ridderhuis ('Knights' House') where visiting knights were sheltered.

William died in battle in 1256, before the construction of the Ridderzaal had finished, and the castle was completed during the reign of his son, Floris V. The Binnenhof was the residence of the counts of Holland for a short period.

After Philip II was deposed as Count of Holland and the Dutch Republic was proclaimed in 1581, the Ridderzaal was initially a public space, often used by traders, stallholders and book sellers.

The expansions of the Binnenhof by Maurice were the beginning of a gradually advancing reconstruction of the castle that ended after the construction of the southern wing under stadtholder William V, in the late 18th century.

[1][3] Between 1806 and 1810, under French rule, the administrative centre of the Netherlands was moved to Amsterdam, and the Binnenhof became useless and it was considered for demolition.

The renovation will mostly focus around air conditioning and central heating installations, IT systems, elevators, fire safety and modernisation of the kitchens.

[7] In December 2015 a majority of the Dutch Parliament elected a plan for a full renovation of the complex, which will take approximately 5.5 years and is estimated to cost around €475 million.

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands and the Ministry of General Affairs will be moved to the Catshuis, where a temporary office building will house several hundred officials.

Another architectural firm, DOK, under the lead of architect Pi de Bruijn, who also designed the new construction for the Senate, was assigned to finish the plans.

The Hague 's Binnenhof with the Hofvijver (Court Pond)
The Binnenhof in 1586
The Binnenhof and Hofvijver on a map of The Hague from around 1600
A meeting of the States General of the Dutch Republic in the Ridderzaal in 1651
The House of Representatives sat in the Oude Zaal ('Old Hall') until 1992, when it had become too small for its 150 members, and a modern expansion was built on the south of the building, housing its new seat.