Gele Scheikunde - Wandelroute TU Noord

Increase in number of students in Chemical Engineering
The history of the Department of Chemical Technology and Mining Engineering begins in 1905. In 1912, it was divided into two separate departments for organisational reasons. The first building of the Department of Chemical Engineering was located at Westvest 9. As the number of students had increased significantly, it was decided in 1917 to build a new building for the faculty.

Red Chemistry was far too spacious and expensive
Rijksbouwmeester Vrijman was commissioned to design the complex, which today is nicknamed "Red Chemistry" because of its use of red brick. Construction started in April 1918, but was halted in 1923. During the economic recession of the 1920s, the "Red Chemistry" complex turned out to be far too spacious and expensive. The financial resources for completion were lacking. It was not yet glass-proofed and the pipes had not yet been installed. Meanwhile, the chemistry department still had no new accommodation while it was very urgently needed. Therefore, in 1935, at a meeting of the Minister of Education, the trustees of the Technische Hogeschool, the department of chemical engineering and the state architect Gustav Cornelis Bremer, it was decided to create an entirely new design.

New building more austere and cheaper
This building was to be more sober and cheaper than the lavish and stately Red Chemistry. The site next to the unfinished Red Chemistry was chosen as the location. The first sketch design was discussed in 1936 and funding was requested from the state budget in 1937. The first pile was driven in 1938 of what would later be popularly called "Yellow Chemistry" because of its facades made of yellow brickwork. The official name is "Building for Organic, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry and for Chemical Technology". During World War II, construction was at a standstill. Orders for equipment, machinery and finishing materials could not go ahead. Completion had to wait until 1945.

Appropriate and modern accommodation after some thirty years
In December 1946, the move to Julianalaan 136 "Yellow Chemistry" was complete: after being housed in an extremely primitive manner for some thirty years, Technical Chemistry had finally moved into suitable and modern accommodation. Red Chemistry was still completed in the early 1950s.

The building
Yellow Chemistry has three lecture halls with a seating capacity of 306, 145 and 60 respectively. There are 13 laboratories in the entire complex. By 1949, the building was already too small and a second layer was added. This was done above the two side wings with cabinets and in the central section adjacent to the lecture halls. Yellow Chemistry is a building that is characteristic of its time and has many beautiful details in it, especially the entrance on Julianalaan is very special. The very low canopy with the three round peepholes high above it are beautifully designed.