The Dutch capital The Hague held its annual ‘roof festival’ in September and showcased six locations which demonstrate how rooftops are supporting biodiversity, storing rainwater, generating solar energy, and helping to reduce heat.
The Uit je Dak festival – translated as ‘Go Wild’ or “Go off your Roof’ – is an annual event designed to promote ‘rooftop thinking’ and promote the use of overlooked overhead spaces.
The six venues presented innovative projects around biodiversity, heat and rainfall management, urban gardening and solar power generation.
Leiden University, for example, showcased its green roof which supports a range of plants and animals, while the Living Lab Binckhaven rooftop included a wildflower meadow and smart irrigation.
Approximately 35% of suitable roofs in The Hague are currently utilised for solar panels, green roofs or rainwater storage, with the aim of reaching at least 50% by 2030.
Many of the buildings already in use are major municipal properties such as City Hall, the Central Library and the Forum office complex, which together comprise more than 5000 square metres of rooftop.
A modular wind and solar system called PowerNEST has been installed on one municipal office building to make it a fully energy neutral government building.
“The most beautiful green space in The Hague is sometimes not on the ground, but above our heads,” said Isabelle Broeders, the Deputy Mayor for Public Spaces, Energy Transition and Regional Co-operation. “By doing so, we can make the city more pleasant, reduce the impact of heat and heavy rainfall, and make better use of existing buildings.”
This year marked the fourth Uit je Dak Festival, with the first event in 2023 introducing the public to The Hague’s 17 square kilometres of flat and unutilised roofspace through tours and performances.
The festival is held in conjunction with Open Monument Day, which celebrates public access to spaces that are usually closed to the community.