AMSTERDAM PIARCOPLEIN

SCALES — L - Urban / architectural LOCATION — Piarcoplein POPULATION — City 835,000 inhab. STRATEGIC SITE — 10.2 ha / PROJECT SITE — 1.86 ha SITE PROPOSED BY — City of Amsterdam OWNER OF THE SITE — Gemeente Amsterdam POST-COMPETITION PHASE — Assignment to design one part of the public space in Piarcoplein

Sabine Lebesque — Department of City Development, City of Amsterdam. Investors Office for Housing / Team Spatial Quality

1. WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THE SITE MUTATION? Sloterdijk Centrum, originally an office buildings area from the eighties with a lot of vacancy, with a train station and a transit area for cars and bus station, is to be transformed into a mixed living and working area. A lot of office buildings have been transformed into hotels or short stay apartments and empty plots are tendered for housing. The changes of the area are occurring extremely rapidly. On the other hand the public space and human scale is still of low quality. There is a deep interest from the City Council to upgrade the area in its liveability.

2. HOW CAN THE SITE BE INTEGRATED IN THE ISSUES OF PRODUCTIVE CITIES? HOW DO YOU CONSIDER THE PRODUCTIVITY ISSUE? The Sloterdijk Centrum area is at the border of Amsterdam harbour, which turns out to be a big economic driver of the city. A lot of productivity of all kinds is taking place there. The idea is that some of this productivity could be pulled into the Sloterdijk Centrum area. But at the same time the human scale productivity is being activated, small businesses, could be stimulated in this area. This goes together with creating a better public space that increases the liveability in this transformation area.

3. HAVE YOU ALREADY DEFINED A SPECIFIC PROCESS FOR THE URBAN AND/OR ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE AFTER EUROPAN? The city is asking the winners, likely with the collaboration of the runner-ups, to think about the void under the railway tracks considering various elements: 1- A higher attractiveness of the spaces making a connection between the different streets around Piarcoplein, for cyclist and pedestrians. 2- Studies about the way the void spaces can be used in a more useful way and attractive way, (art, culture, sport, small productivity etc.) 3- Proposals to use the walls of the station in a better way (design, new function). The city is looking forward to see inspiring proposals and different scenarios.

Undergrowth

AUTHOR(S) — Federica Andreoni (IT), Mattia Biagi (IT), Annachiara Bonora (IT), Valeria Lollobattista (IT), Marco Mondello (IT), Valerio Socciarelli (IT), Architects

AMSTERDAM PIARCOPLEIN (NL) — WINNER

CONTACT — info@gnomone.com www.gnomone.com

TEAM POINT OF VIEW — “Undergrowth” consists in bushes and plants growing together under the trees in a forest. We should deal with the undergrowth of the Sloterdijk area in order to foster vibration and proximity in the neighbourhood. It is strategic to typologically think about the future Piarcoplein as a square able to receive all the systems that arrive there. A square is a precise answer to rethinking the productive city: a hybrid space like a support for different aspects of city life. Naturally characterized by co-presence of activities, a square can spatially interpret a circular and diffused production. Lively squares need to be mainly mineral, enclosed and defined by continuous and active borders; so erecting new volumes with certain proportions is necessary in order to dialogue with the groundscape.

JURY POINT OF VIEW — This proposal comes up with a simple solution for a complex situation through the creation of a public square with clearly defines boundaries under the existing infrastructure’s structure. The scheme creates a well-dimensioned square with buildings under the tracks without disturbing the flow of the different users. This set-up follows the logic of traditional arches underneath train tracks creating special spaces that offer interesting locations for additional urban programs in a friendly and transparent way. The scheme is smart in the way that it is organising the program at the ground level.

Urban Platform

AUTHOR(S) — Michele Angelo Vallicelli (IT), Giulia Panadisi (IT), Annalisa Pilati (IT), Architects

AMSTERDAM PIARCOPLEIN (NL) — RUNNER-UP

CONTACT — Node Architecture, Roma (IT) michelangelo_v@yahoo.it, info@nodearchitecture.it www.nodearchitecture.it

TEAM POINT OF VIEW — Digital Work and Placemaking for Piarcoplein. This proposal aims at investigating how digital and physical connectivity can recombine an existing transit oriented development into an urban platform. Considering work activities as a core productive factor for cities, workplace digitalization has in fact implications not only for the architectural scale, but for the overall urban space. Within this framework, we proposed the design for a digital and physical infrastructure that allows local collaboration in space and provides a virtual environment of local connectivity that works as a City Operating System. This can support the temporary location of small industries or researchers using the digital infrastructure to conduct experiments, potentially collaborating and exchanging knowledge.

JURY POINT OF VIEW — This project creates a very interesting connection between the station and its surrounding by linking the different squares. The design brings together the different movements and flows in the area. By introducing a new mid-level movement system, the project creates a landscape underneath the elevated train tracks of folded footpaths and pavilions with urban program and places to stay. This proposal is using the different movements and flux, but at the same time is integrating “the bypass” and the parking, which makes it worth looking at it seriously.