Leafy urban layout for Maastricht station square

Ruland Architecten designs a green living space in the city

In the design for the new layout of the station square of Maastricht station, Ruland Architecten combines a diverse vegetation plan, historical references and places for pleasant stay to create a special square with character.

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Partly due to the construction of the bicycle cellar with associated access and daylight element, the connection with the bus square on the north side and the pedestrian route to the city looks messy. On the south side of the square, green gardens were created in front of the ‘De Colonel’ building in the 1980s, with a characteristic figurative interpretation.

Ruland Architecten has made a design for the new layout of the station square on behalf of the municipality of Maastricht. The immediate reason was the recent redevelopment of the station building, in which many areas have been restored to their former grandeur. As a result, the station square was also due for a renewal, in line with the station building.

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By reinterpreting the original theme of green parks, Ruland Architecten brings cohesion to the square again. The existing green areas on the south side of the square will be adapted and continued like a stamp. The platform edges will function as seating areas for visitors to the square. Space is being made for terraces at the height of the new catering functions in the station building. The new design is terminated on the north side of the square by large tree tubs and a long continuous element, which provides seating for waiting train and bus passengers.

The connection with the route to the city center is made by extending the city pavement to the main entrance of the station building. The two original concrete street lamps from 1915 return as accents on this important pedestrian route. What is special about this is that Ruland Architecten has made modern design reproductions based on old photos and drawings. In this central part of the square, the round daylight element of the bicycle shed is converted into a special seating element. This is finished with a natural stone slab on which the map of Europe is depicted, with the city of Maastricht as the center.

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A design has been made for the green areas, consisting of variously colored plants and trees that provide shade and shelter to the station square. There are two subtly different variants. In the existing areas at the height of the ‘De Colonel’ building, the green plants of the same height remain planted in a clear cross shape. The intermediate surfaces are again filled with low and diversely colored flower and plant species. At the station building however, the surfaces take on a more informal character. Here the same plants are mixed in a wild form, without a recognizable structure. The planting thus reflects the playful architecture of the station building versus the austere and rigid architecture of the ‘De Colonel’ building.

By interpreting historical references in a modern way and thereby applying a new structure, Maastricht’s station square once again becomes a place where people can enjoy a pleasant stay. The design by Ruland Architecten connects a diverse city square into a cohesive whole with its own character, matching the grandeur of the city of Maastricht.

LocationMaastricht, Netherlands
Floor area8622 sq m gross floor area
Year2020 –
StatusPreliminary design

ClientGemeente Maastricht
ArchitectRuland Architects, Amsterdam
ImagesRuland Architects, Amsterdam
Particular detailsConnection through vegetation
© Ruland Architecten 2021