Working together, learning together
Stephan Sliepenbeek envisages a metropolitan environment for the single-function Amstel III area, with a city park at its heart. Between ten and fifteen thousand homes are to be added to the existing office spaces. Step by step, work is being done to find a place where the market and municipality can join forces. In his design process, Stephan focuses on residents and developers and aims to achieve types of mutual value creation that benefit both developers and residents. This is a challenging process now that the certainty of funding is less prominent, and he is putting a lot of energy into building trust between the parties. This trust is both important and vulnerable, because it is subject to the changing state of the economy.
Ron van Heusden is also engaged in transforming an extraordinary part of the city. He is working on the Hamerkwartier – an industrial area through and through – which in the coming ten or twenty years is expected to evolve into a district with plenty of space to live and work. By contrast with Amstel III, the challenges posed by the Hamerkwartier include matters such as protected cityscapes and a wide range of community activities. For this reason, Ron has focused on co-creation with design agencies and landowners, in which he has taken a flexible approach and worked on the basis of shared intentions. This leaves room for consultation and allows all parties to search for interventions and agreements that help the neighbourhood become a high-quality location.
In this edition, Amsterdam urban designers and town planners share their thoughts on transformation areas. Although a variety of areas come under the transformation heading, they can differ significantly from each other. As a result, there is no blueprint or method for transformation that can be universally applied. For each area, we carefully consider where strengths can be harnessed and collaborations with the neighbourhood and market can be strengthened.
Text: Olivier van de Sanden
Focus 2: Schinkelhaven
In the next few years, eleven thousand new homes and 2.5 million square metres of workspace will emerge between Nieuw West and Oud Zuid in the Schinkelhaven district. At present it is still a neighbourhood poised on the edge of urbanisation, but it is set to become an area best described as a fusion of two urban planning ideals: the closed city blocks proposed by Berlage, and Van Eesteren’s open park city. As Toine van Goethem explains, this fusion of ideals was inspired by the vision of Boulogne-Billancourt, the power behind the redevelopment of the Paris Renault factories. Toine views the future Schinkelhaven as an environment through which pedestrians can wander among green oases within the blocks, framed by city streets (see Plan Amsterdam: the city at eye level, Feb. 23).
Van Goethem draws a comparison between designing in a transformation area and playing a game, seeing himself as the writer of the game’s rules. A good game has few rules, and they are precise, simple and self-explanatory so that the game can be easily played without the designer having to be there. When it comes to Schinkelhaven, Toine tries to use no more than 10 ‘rules’ to inspire owners and stakeholders to transform the existing (often vacant) storage sheds into urban buildings with a living and working function, and a positive impact on public space. These rules also provide guidance in a changing economy: when deciding to add or remove a rule, we carefully examine the nature of the area to determine which rules are set in stone, and which are not.
Focus 1: Boven ’t Y
Amsterdam’s Local Vision 2050 envisions a city with a multicore character. One of the newly planned cores is the Boven ’t Y shopping centre in Amsterdam Noord, developed in the 1970s. Martijntje Stam has been working on the future development of this area for some time now, and has to achieve a special outcome. Almost the entire area, including the public space, has been issued as a ground lease.
Just like her other colleagues, Martijntje designs not for, but with those involved. There is no top-down plan from the municipality. Instead, the design is refined on the basis of design workshops involving the ten major owners with initiatives, and their architects. There are three central principles driving this: enrich, green and connect.
Collaborating with the many owners also ensures independence. For example, Stam had to relinquish control when drawing up the design framework. Spatial guidelines were formulated in consultation with stakeholders, on matters such as spacing between high-rise buildings and the quality of the plinth, which are usually reserved for the municipality alone.
When it comes to the area’s future as a core, Martijntje is currently focusing on the role of bicycles. Dating back to the 1970s, the shopping centre was built with the car as the main form of transport in mind. Since then, a metro has been built and bicycles have come to occupy a more central role. Stam hopes to carry this through into the final design, with high-quality bicycle connections between surrounding neighbourhoods and the city, and underground parking.
In this edition, Amsterdam urban designers and town planners share their thoughts on transformation areas. Although a variety of areas come under the transformation heading, they can differ significantly from each other. As a result, there is no blueprint or method for transformation that can be universally applied. For each area, we carefully consider where strengths can be harnessed and collaborations with the neighbourhood and market can be strengthened.
Text: Olivier van de Sanden
Working together, learning together
Stephan Sliepenbeek envisages a metropolitan environment for the single-function Amstel III area, with a city park at its heart. Between ten and fifteen thousand homes are to be added to the existing office spaces. Step by step, work is being done to find a place where the market and municipality can join forces. In his design process, Stephan focuses on residents and developers and aims to achieve types of mutual value creation that benefit both developers and residents. This is a challenging process now that the certainty of funding is less prominent, and he is putting a lot of energy into building trust between the parties. This trust is both important and vulnerable, because it is subject to the changing state of the economy.
Ron van Heusden is also engaged in transforming an extraordinary part of the city. He is working on the Hamerkwartier – an industrial area through and through – which in the coming ten or twenty years is expected to evolve into a district with plenty of space to live and work. By contrast with Amstel III, the challenges posed by the Hamerkwartier include matters such as protected cityscapes and a wide range of community activities. For this reason, Ron has focused on co-creation with design agencies and landowners, in which he has taken a flexible approach and worked on the basis of shared intentions. This leaves room for consultation and allows all parties to search for interventions and agreements that help the neighbourhood become a high-quality location.
Focus 2: Schinkelhaven
In the next few years, eleven thousand new homes and 2.5 million square metres of workspace will emerge between Nieuw West and Oud Zuid in the Schinkelhaven district. At present it is still a neighbourhood poised on the edge of urbanisation, but it is set to become an area best described as a fusion of two urban planning ideals: the closed city blocks proposed by Berlage, and Van Eesteren’s open park city. As Toine van Goethem explains, this fusion of ideals was inspired by the vision of Boulogne-Billancourt, the power behind the redevelopment of the Paris Renault factories. Toine views the future Schinkelhaven as an environment through which pedestrians can wander among green oases within the blocks, framed by city streets (see Plan Amsterdam: the city at eye level, Feb. 23).
Van Goethem draws a comparison between designing in a transformation area and playing a game, seeing himself as the writer of the game’s rules. A good game has few rules, and they are precise, simple and self-explanatory so that the game can be easily played without the designer having to be there. When it comes to Schinkelhaven, Toine tries to use no more than 10 ‘rules’ to inspire owners and stakeholders to transform the existing (often vacant) storage sheds into urban buildings with a living and working function, and a positive impact on public space. These rules also provide guidance in a changing economy: when deciding to add or remove a rule, we carefully examine the nature of the area to determine which rules are set in stone, and which are not.
Focus 1: Boven ’t Y
Amsterdam’s Local Vision 2050 envisions a city with a multicore character. One of the newly planned cores is the Boven ’t Y shopping centre in Amsterdam Noord, developed in the 1970s. Martijntje Stam has been working on the future development of this area for some time already, and has to achieve a special outcome. Almost the entire area, including the public space, has been issued as a ground lease.
Just like her other colleagues, Martijntje designs not for, but with those involved. There is no top-down plan from the municipality. Instead, the design is refined on the basis of design workshops involving the ten major owners with initiatives, and their architects. There are three central principles driving this: enrich, green and connect.
Collaborating with the many owners also ensures independence. For example, Stam had to relinquish control when drawing up the design framework. Spatial guidelines were formulated in consultation with stakeholders, on matters such as spacing between high-rise buildings and the quality of the plinth, which are usually reserved for the municipality alone.
When it comes to the area’s future as a core, Martijntje is currently focusing on the role of bicycles. Dating back to the 1970s, the shopping centre was built with the car as the main form of transport in mind. Since then, a metro has been built and bicycles have come to occupy a more central role. Stam hopes to carry this through into the final design, with high-quality bicycle connections between surrounding neighbourhoods and the city, and underground parking.
