The new city hall in Deventer in the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, unites the old historical city hall with the new building, housing the city council and all municipal services all under one roof. What’s unique about the new building are the stone facades with protruding window frames, which contain 2,264 unique fingerprints belonging to the citizens of Deventer. The architects collaborated with local artist Loes ten Anscher to cast the fingerprints in a series of aluminum grids that fit into oak filigree frames set within the stone facade. The intricate fingerprints are also continued into the interior and can be seen from multiple angles. While some citizens were not in favor because of concerns for privacy, most welcomed the art installation and said it gives them a feeling that the new building also belongs to them.
