Senior project management in defining the specification for the urban restructuring of the Stadionplein, opposite the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam. Pilot project for The Great Simplification of the Amsterdam City Council.
Also see the district's project website (in Dutch).
City squares
Creating a new city square is more than just an act of planning: it is also an act of culture.
When designing a city square, it is vital that it's urban landscape and the historical and cultural context are taken into account. This is especially true in the case of the Stadionplein, which is situated near one of the main gateways into Amsterdam and on the edge of Berlage's Plan South. The challenge is for the square to guide its built environment (rather than the other way around). In urban planning, creating a new city square is one of the most difficult tasks there is. Much depends on the coherence between the horizontal space, its layout and how they relate to the surrounding urban walls. Also crucial factor is the chosen design concept for the square.
But city squares are much more than just that. To begin understanding their role: try to imagine a city without city squares. City squares entail urban importance: history, meaning, image and programming. All of these concepts are difficult to control from a designer's point of view, nor can they be created through planning. What is possible, however, is to mobilise and link existing ‘forces' from the environment: for example through projects which consciously presuppose a temporary nature.
More information
Please contact Hans Karssenberg: h.karssenberg@stipo.nl.