The Board of the Carnegie Foundation, the owner and manager of the Peace Palace in The Hague, has appointed Iljan van Hardevelt as Director with effect from 1 October 2023. With this appointment the Foundation is preparing for the various renovation projects that will be undertaken in order to prepare the Peace Palace for the future.
The Peace Palace
The Peace Palace, which opened its doors 110 years ago, houses the International Court of Justice of the United Nations, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague Academy of International Law and a renowned library on international law. As owner of the Peace Palace, the Carnegie Foundation manages and maintains this monumental heritage site and facilitates the two Courts and the Academy. The Library of the Peace Palace is also part of the Carnegie Foundation.
A building of this scale and age necessarily requires maintenance. In the years ahead the Carnegie Foundation, in cooperation with external parties, will be carrying out renovation works. Included in these will be an extensive asbestos investigation followed by the systematic removal of asbestos. As the Courts will continue to use the working palace throughout the duration of these projects, they will have to be housed satisfactorily. In the coming years both the Peace Palace and the Carnegie Foundation must evolve into future-proof organisations.
Expertise with monumental property
Iljan van Hardevelt, who will commence duty as the new Director on 1 October, has extensive experience with both the maintenance and further development of monumental buildings as well as with project and organisational planning. After completing his engineering studies at the Delft University of Technology in 2000, Van Hardevelt was employed by organisational consultancy firm TwynstraGudde. From 2012, in the role of Managing Partner. During more than 20 years with the firm, Van Hardevelt was involved with, amongst other things, the renovation of the Dutch House of Representatives’ premises (Binnenhof) and, as project leader, the renovation, sustainability and expansion of the Groningen City Hall and the construction of the Forum Groningen. In addition, Van Hardevelt filled various management positions within TwynstraGudde.
Piet Hein Donner, Chairman of the Board of the Carnegie Foundation: “Iljan van Hardevelt brings with him extensive knowledge regarding the (re)development of societal property. He can lead complex property projects in a politico-administrative environment whilst, at the same time, being experienced in steering large and diverse organisations. We are pleased he is joining us and are looking forward to working together.”
Knowledge and affinity with the art collection
In addition to his expertise in the area of monumental heritage and project management, Van Hardevelt also has an affinity with the Peace Palace’s art collection of more than forty works of art and interior objects from around the world. He is a member of the Supervisory Board of Museum Het Schip, was formerly a board member of the Netherlands Association of Corporate Art Collections (VBCN) and was the chairman of TwynstraGudde’s art commission.
Van Hardevelt is enthusiastically looking forward to his new workplace: “My driving force has always been to create impact within the spatial domain; a lasting improvement or innovation. That I may now use my expertise, together with the Board and colleagues of the Carnegie Foundation, to work on the further professionalisation of the organisation and to pilot the Peace Palace to a sustainable future makes me incredibly proud. I am very much looking forward to this great challenge.”
