The Polak building on Woudestein campus was evacuated on Thursday evening and closed until further notice. This was decided by the university because the safety of the floor construction cannot be guaranteed.
In May, part of a parking garage collapsed at Eindhoven Airport. A national investigation showed that a similar type of floor was used in the Polak building. At the request of the municipality of Rotterdam, the university did an additional architectural investigation in the Polak building. The investigation, which the university received today, shows that the safety of the floor construction in Polak cannot be guaranteed.
Some classes cancelled
In the meantime, the Executive Board has commissioned an independent research agency to find out how the building can be secured again. How long the closure will last is not yet known.
Some classes will be cancelled in the coming period. All classes scheduled in Polak will be rescheduled elsewhere as soon as possible. The Bachelor Open Day, coming Saturday, will proceed.
In the press release of the university, chair of the Executive Board Kristel Baele states that she finds the situation to be inconvenient. “However, for us, the safety of our students, employees, visitors and users of the building is paramount. We therefore have no choice but to temporarily close the Polak building immediately. We will keep everybody informed as well as possible.”
