Groningen railway station building - Groningen

Architect and engineer Izaak Gosschalk (1838-1907) is responsible for the design of Groningen's beautiful Station Building, built between 1893 and 1896. The son of a Jewish doctor from Amsterdam was chairman and honorary member of the Maatschappij tot Bevordering der Bouwkunst and was one of the most influential architects of the late nineteenth century.

The Station building has many features typical of the neo-Renaissance style, such as rich ornaments, pillars, arches and decorative details. But Gosschalk also used neo-Gothic elements such as pointed arch windows in the upper parts of the facades and architectural details around the entrances and windows.

Besides the facades, the ceiling and tile tableaux in the station hall of the station building also make an impressive picture. These are a design by Groningen artist F.H. Bach. The space, also called ‘cathedral of the winged wheel’, is known as a ‘salle des pas perdus’, which literally translates as a hall where footsteps are lost. This refers not only to the hall's acoustics, but also to its function. It is a waiting room where people walk around to pass the time.

The station building has been regularly rebuilt over the years and is still in use. It has national monument status because of its architectural and historical significance.