After the successful opening of the Forum Groningen, visitors are still pouring in. The newly opened building was visited by 100,000 people in just one week
Positive responses
The public seem to be impressed, and the director, Dirk Nijdam, says that opening of the Forum Groningen has been ”unbelievably good”, and he is very pleasantly surprised with the positive responses, as reported in the Dagblad van het Noorden. ”The response is great, the Forum makes people in Groningen proud. Even opponents come to me and say they have to admit that Forum has become beautiful,” says Nijdam.
Improvements
In an interview with the Dagblad van het Noorden, Nijdam says that employees are currently busy with improving a few parts of the Forum. They have made a list of points for improvement, such as the lighting in the film cafe and missing railings.
The vision
Nijdam’s ambition is to not only make Forum Groningen a ”living-room” but also a ”hotspot for current events”. He hopes to be able to combine these two atmospheres, and is confident that he will succeed.
Boulevard
On Twitter, the Forum Groningen has received mostly positive reactions, with the city of Groningen-publicist, Ritzo ten Cate, comparing the function of the Forum Groningen with that of the cultural late summer event Noorderzon.
“An evening at Forum Groningen is very similar to an evening at Noorderzon. You sit for a little bit, you have a drink, you bump into acquaintances who have started to do another round because it’s so fun. The escalators are a boulevard”. Ten Cate thinks that the Forum will even take over the role of a pub – “You used to go to the pub for an evening. In 2019, you go to hang out in the library and enjoy the city view on the roof”.
Perhaps not suitable for studying
Many students used the old Groningen Forum on Oude Boteringestraat as a place to study, however, with the new Forum being so busy, some students feel it is too difficult to concentrate. This has resulted in them returning to the University Library. The solution for Hanze students, however, may not be so simple. During exam seasons, the University of Groningen’s library is inaccessible for them, so students may have to get creative with their new study locations.
