Berg, Boomgaard, Strand
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Location | Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Year | 2010
Client | Platform for Public Space
Status | Competition proposal, nominated entry
The Cruquius peninsula is the last area to be developed in this successful city district. The site is now mono functional, diffuse and the Cruquius road is the only public space. A limited amount of public space does not have to be a problem though. That’s why DE URBANISTEN proposed to organize the developments on the peninsula around three public places full of character: an orchard, a beach and a mountain.
The Eastern Docklands in Amsterdam are full of character and it have an abundance of high quality public space. The Cruquius peninsula is the last area to be developed in this successful city district. The site is now mono functional, diffuse and the Cruquius road is the only public space. A limited amount of public space does not have to be a problem though. That’s why we propose to organize the developments on the peninsula around three public places full of character: an orchard, a beach and a mountain.
The orchard is the central communal space of Cruquius. It will grow in size over time and expand in fruit tree species. The beach is the anchor point for a floating community and forms the stepping stone in a new bike connection between the Eastern Docklands and the Flevopark. The beach is created from the debris of demolished buildings on Cruquius. The mountain is situated at the far end of the peninsula to collect the polluted soil from the construction sites. The more development, the bigger the mountain grows. At the end it offers a splendid view on the city of Amsterdam.
Our proposal leaves a lot of flexibility for the development of the plots. In the interior of Cruquius new buildings make a clear front towards the Cruquius road and the orchard. Here the ground level is destined for public programme. Along the waterfront of Cruquius on the other hand we project a rich diversity of private gardens and terraces, collective squares, piers and courtyards or buildings placed bluntly into the water. These are the places where people can enjoy the best feature of the Cruquius peninsula: the water.
