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Railroad Zone Amsterdam

The railroad as backbone of Amsterdam South-East

Working in collaboration with the municipality of Amsterdam, Felixx investigated the urbanistic potential of the Amsterdam Zuidoost Spoorzone (Amsterdam southeast railway area).  The study explored the role of the Spoorzone as the key structure in the overall development of the Zuidoost and its capacity to become an engaging, linear green corridor, connecting, rather than dividing the city. The study demonstrated that integrated into the urban fabric, filled with new functions, and made accessible, the area could become a robust backbone serving the neighborhoods, the districts, and the city. Thus transformed, the area would become a valuable public space for the existing and future communities of Amsterdam Zuidoost.

Research by design

Today the railway zone between Duivendrecht Station and the University Hospital contains many linear fragments of neglected and leftover space behind buildings, under viaducts, running along train tracks, and forming an inhospitable corridor. Paradoxically, these unattractive areas surprisingly often become sources of considerable biodiversity. Ample and hard to exploit as real estate, they lend themselves perfectly well as starting points for linear parks linking the city with the region and providing new value in most unexpected places.


Giving purpose and destination to the lost and forgotten urban spaces. 

A series of workshops with municipal experts, stakeholders, and project groups revealed the main problems & opportunities for the area. They also revealed new objectives for the future of the Southeastern Railway Zone:

  1. Create a healthy living environment for people and animals, sustainable and climate adaptive.
  2. Design high quality and safe spaces for social interaction, sports, play and recreation.
  3. With optimal connectedness and attractive station environments.
  4. Reverse the backside effect and bring a human scale to this infrastructure oriented landscape.

 

Triple Spine

We have translated the assignment into the so-called ‘Triple Spine’. A spine as a strengthening structure, that 1) can maintain the urban and natural corridor along the entire length of the Southeast railway. 2) As a connective tissue that is consistent with current structures and ongoing developments on a local and urban scale. 3) And remains adaptable with the flexibility to local conditions and identities on both sides of the railroad tracks.


Inspirational plan of the railroad as Green, Connective, and Interactive urban spine for Zuidoost.

From division to diversity

The railroad now runs like a mental and physical barrier through the 4 km zone, creating a divide and striking contrasts on both sides of the railway. Instead of seeing this as a weakness and a consequence of segregation, 'the railroad as a backbone' looks at these contrasts as opportunities for public life. A palette of contrasts that - if properly planned - can evolve into a universe of choices for urban programs for daily/weekly activities and events.


Collage Strandvliet area

Multiple perspectives

Promoting cohesion and quality across existing organizational contexts is necessary for this. With regards to the core tasks of the triple spine, this means focusing on the larger scale in order to add quality and value that cannot be realized by the smaller individual projects. Improvements to the quality of the zone will complement the efforts to connect and activate the areas on either side of the railway, temporarily and permanently.

Central role for the Railroad

Inspirational images bestow the railroad area with its appropriately central role in the development of Amsterdam Zuidoost. Professional imagination converts mental and physical barriers into the spaces of social encounter, environmental quality and connected opportunities. The image is elaborated by combining three tracks where the "triple spine" offers qualities of robustness, flexibility and adaptability.


Collage Holendrecht pond

Year

2020 - 2021

Location

Amsterdam Arena

Type

Research, Infrastructure, Landscape, Public Space

Client

Amsterdam Municipality

Team & partners

Marnix Vink
Eduardo Marin Salinas
Elan Redekop van der Meulen
Shuangyun Chen
Bijlmer Believers 3.0

 

List
  1. Eemsdelta Campus
  2. Jonas Amsterdam
  3. K64 KEFLAVÍK AIRPORT AREA MASTERPLAN
  4. Rijnvliet, Edible Neighborhood
  5. Alongside the Schie
  6. New Space - Design Guideline Liveability of Public Space, Groningen
  7. From Airport to Birdport
  8. Brainport Industries Campus
  9. Hondsrug Park Amsterdam
  10. Railroad Zone Amsterdam
  11. Yangmeikeng Sea Boulevard
  12. Healthy Tracks
  13. Towards a healthy city by foot
  14. Floating Gardens, Amsterdam
  15. The Unbound Amsterdam
  16. Seaside Gardens, Gufunes
  17. Brainport Smart District Helmond
  18. The Swan, Zwolle (NL)
  19. Spatial Framework Blankenburg Süden, Berlin
  20. 'Typhoon-proof' Shenzhen's East Coast
  21. Circular City Bodø 2.0
  22. A green entrance for the airport
  23. Public Space Alpen
  24. Cartesius Quarter
  25. Isle of Dikes
  26. Smakkelaarsveld Utrecht
  27. Darmstadt Masterplan 2030+
  28. Bao’An G107 Corridor
  29. Master Plan Ter Aar, Nieuwkoop
  30. Waterfront Novosibirsk
  31. City Square Tyumen
  32. Almazov National Medical Research Centre
  33. Strategic Urban Green Study
  34. Public Space Strategy Kanpur
  35. Quartierlandschaft Dietenbach
  36. ImageWharf
  37. Ódinstorg Square
  38. Overloon War Museum
  39. Lokhalle Leverkusen
  40. Ludlstrasse Munich
  41. Yaanila Country Park
  42. Redevelopment Strategy Vogabyggð
  43. Villa Garden
  44. City life in the woods
  45. Schie Quarter Schiedam
  46. Socio-technical city of the future
  47. Buji River
  48. Vaskhnil Novosibirsk
  49. Precincts Canterbury Cathedral
  50. Maritime Campus Almere
  51. Resilient Riverscape Berat
  52. Sijthoff
  53. Strategic Plan Shkodra
  54. Ekaterinburg City Campus
  55. Transformation Strategy Gufunes
  56. Transformation Strategy Chelyabinsk
  57. Fish Market Leuven
  58. Zinder Culture Cluster
  59. Food Innovation Strip Ede-Wageningen
  60. S4 Highway Hangzhou
  61. Strategic Plan Fier
  62. Strategic Plan Elbasan
  63. Kronenburg Business Park
  64. Dharavi Mumbai
  65. Masterplan Smáralind Mall
  66. Urban Test Farm Emmen
  67. Ásbrú Enterprise Park
  68. Asylum Seekers Center Ter Apel
  69. Berlin Am Volkspark
  70. The Museum of the 20th Century
  71. Gardabaer
  72. Metropolitan Westerpark Amsterdam
  73. Science and Technology City Chongqing
  74. Yue Xiu 353 Transformation
  75. 5YN3RGY
  76. Erlongshan Recreational Park
  77. Danxia Recreational Park
  78. Campus Lelystad
  79. Proto Tamansari
  80. City Gardens Tyumen
  81. Park Somerlust Amsterdam
  82. Agricultural Innovation Campus
  83. Bandar Lampung Park
  84. R&D Campus Fengxian
  85. S-West Eindhoven
  86. Biodiversity based dairy farming
  87. Heidelberg Creative Quarter
  88. MASTERPLAN FLORA CAMPUS WESTLAND
  89. FROM NODE TO PLACE
  90. Barendrecht Vrouwenpolder
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