Central Station, Hague

The Hague Central Station, known in Dutch as Den Haag Centraal, is a prominent transportation hub in The Hague. Opened in 1973, it is the main station, located along the western section of the Gouda – The Hague railway line. The station features 12 platforms connecting The Hague with cities like Gouda, Zoetermeer, Voorburg, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam. It's estimated that around 73,000 passengers use the station daily, totaling approximately 26.5 million people annually.

The station is not just a train station but also an underground station for RET and a tram station for HTMbuzz, thanks to its elevated railway system. The main hall of the station is equipped with various amenities like shops, ticket offices, toilets, cafés, and facilities for passengers with disabilities, including escalators.

A significant transformation of The Hague Central Station was completed in 2016, led by BenthemCrouwel Architects. The renovation replaced the 1970s concrete structure with a design focused on transparency, earning it the nickname "a railway station of glass, a cathedral of light."

Architecturally, the new station is designed as a roofed urban plaza, incorporating four entrances that connect the city center with the financial district (Beatrixkwartier). The roof is a distinctive feature, made of lozenge-shaped panels that create a play of light and shadow and serve multiple functions like ventilation, solar protection, and acoustics. The station, almost entirely made of glass, measures 120 by 96 meters and is 22 meters tall. It is supported by eight elegant columns and provides a clear view of all transport modes (train, tram, bus), retail, and hospitality areas.