Retail, offices and housing: diversity in areas

Ruland Architects gives vision station area Duivendrecht

On behalf of NS Real Estate Ruland Architects made a study on the possible interpretation of the area west and south of the railway station Duivendrecht. This area is owned by NS Real Estate.

The site is located between the Holterbergweg and the railroad Amsterdam Central – Utrecht Central and is bounded to the north by the industrial area under the van der Made way to the south by the sports fields of the Amsterdam Arena.

The different areas of the site have by the spatial limitation, barriers and existing buildings received each their own, unique character.
In the view of Ruland Architects, these characteristics form the basis for the design and are these reinforced by including a “green master plan” as a starting point for the entire area. Duivendrecht station will act on this plan as the spindle, the central position it deserves in this location.

Companies and starters triangle …
The northern part of the site, from the Van der Madeweg to the railway embankment of the railway Duivendrecht – Schiphol can be further developed as a business park. Important for the character of this area is that there occurs a mix between large, Large Retailers-like businesses, midsize companies and small start-ups.

For the latter group of small business owners an interpretation is made from the starters triangle: a commercial building of up to 2 to 3 layers of small business premises. Via wide ports in the outer walls along the Spaklerweg and Stationsweg these premises located on the inner streets are easily visible and unlocked. Additional parking for the starters triangle and Duivendrecht are provided on the roof of the complex.

The industrial area with starters triangle is visually terminated by an office which by its location is clearly marked on the station.

… or student housing
An alternative to the construction of the starters triangle is developing a campus for students on the roof of the premises for starting entrepreneurs.

By conducting the roof as a “green roof” an open park structure is created which is connected to, and runs into, the open landscape around the church of Old Duivendrecht.

The residential towers are placed so that they are outside the noise of Schiphol and have an excellent view of the surrounding landscape.

Station Square
The meaning of Duivendrecht station is enhanced by on a new and adapted station square, a high-quality, distinctive and small office location development, supplemented by hotel and catering industry.

The office location is part of a water feature and orients itself on the landscape of “The Old Course”. The wedge shape of the offices, with in between facilities located in pavilions, makes a changing view from the station square on the landscape possible.

Park Homes ‘The Old Course’
In the southern part of the site, under the railway Schiphol – Utrecht Central on the grounds of the golf course “the Old Course” housing is realized. By clusters of tall buildings can be preserved the character of the existing green, open landscape. In this way, on one hand a natural transition is created to the surrounding sports grounds and sports complexes of the Amsterdam Arena, on the other hand the residential area is connected to the larger scale of the buildings on the south side.

Each cluster consists a number of residential towers with extensive communal facilities for these houses, such as sports and fitness facilities. There can be parked in the communal underground car parks. By the position of the individual towers and the cluster, there is an overlooking from every house of the surrounding countryside. The ponds physically separate the clusters of the countryside but not spatially. As a result, the perception of separate towers in the park landscape remains intact.

LocationDuivendrecht
Floor areaOffices 46,500 sq m gross floor area
Businesses 46,400 sq m gross floor area
Year2006
Client–
ArchitectRuland Architects, Amsterdam
StatusStudy
ImagesRuland Architects, Amsterdam

© Ruland Architecten 2021