West Den Haag

When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story’, wrote Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The city of The Hague is not a uniform place. With more than half of its residents of non-Dutch origin, it forms a vibrant, multilingual community rich in stories. To celebrate this diversity, West is launching the Open Paviljoen this summer: a new meeting place for the many voices of The Hague.

Located on the stately Lange Voorhout, the Open Paviljoen invites visitors to connect, exchange ideas, and imagine together. Its focus is not on the past, but on shaping a shared future. The spatial installation, consisting of a platform and a compact project space, has been developed in collaboration with renowned Surinamese artist Marcel Pinas.Over the course of three months, it will become a place for art, reflection, hospitality, and dialogue.

With good coffee and fresh bread, the pavilion becomes a warm and welcoming space for a broad audience. Together with a range of organisations from both within the city and beyond, West is presenting a continuous program of talks, performances, sports and games, by and for the people of The Hague and far beyond.

This year’s focus is on Suriname: a country deeply connected to both the past and present of the Netherlands. The Open Paviljoen offers space for cultural exchange, critical reflection, and artistic expression.