Europe’s Largest Rooftop Farm Underway, Scheduled To Open In January
December 7, 2015 
UrbanFarmers, a Germany-based urban agriculture company, is partnering with Van der Valk•Kleijn, a Netherlands greenhouse company, on the development of a 14,000 square-foot modern greenhouse of UF002 De Schilde, which would be the largest urban rooftop farm in Europe.
Construction began in September 2015, and the project is scheduled to be complete in January 2016. The first fish and vegetables will be sold in April 2016, with the farm planned to be open to visitors and tours in February 2016.
UF002 De Schilde is located at a signature building of The Hague, the former Philips telecommunication building constructed by the grandfather of Rem Koolhaas. The classic building currently lies mostly vacant and will be re-purposed into a multi-story urban farming enterprise. Dubbed the “Times Square of Urban Farming” (“hotspot for urban farming” in Dutch), the building will span two floors and use the UF System for the sustainable production of fish and vegetables. The UF Consortium partners, UrbanFarmers AG, Priva BV, Koppert Biological Systems and Rijk Zwaan, are working together to build the urban farm on the rooftop and sixth floor of the building.
“Repurposing this signature building is a next step toward realizing alternative means of sustainable vegetable production,” says Mark Durno, Managing Director of UrbanFarmers Benelux.
“We are excited to be paving the way for more sustainable and commercially viable urban farms,” Durno says.
UF De Schilde will house Europe’s largest commercial urban food production facility, covering a 13,000 square foot rooftop greenhouse for specialty vegetables, a 4,000 square foot indoor fish farm, and 2,700 square feet of integrated processing and packaging. The farm will also dedicate 2,700 square feet exclusively for events and tours.
UrbanFarmers and van der Valk•Kleijn started a cooperation together in 2012 after successfully building the UF’s first urban rooftop farm in Basel, Switzerland. Urban Farmers produces ultra-local, ultra-fresh vegetables and fish inside cities, using aquaponics. The products are delivered to local restaurants and consumers right after harvesting.
The greenhouse will be installed with energy-saving double glazing, three separate ventilation groups, screening installations, and an intelligent energy-efficient heating system.
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