In February, Amsterdam saw the opening of a new underwater bicycle parking facility. Located in the heart of the city—next to Amsterdam Central Station and under the river IJ (Amsterdam’s waterfront)—the facility, dubbed IJboulevard, has parking spots for over 4,000 bicycles, freeing up space on the street.
Designed by VenhoevenCS architecture+urbanism, along with Van Hattum en Blankevoort and DS Landscape Architects, IJboulevard also has created 6,000 square meters (64,583 sf) of new public space above the bike parking facility. The parking facility’s roof serves as a new walkway and gathering space along the river IJ, while also providing seating areas and views of the water.
The bicycle parking facility’s interior design features flowing lines and rounded shapes intended to create a warm, inviting feel. Wooden walls, subtle lighting, and a calm color palette provide clarity and orientation. The use of the same dark gray natural stone on both the pedestrian boulevard and the facility’s entrances provides a seamless transition between the interior and exterior spaces.
The stairwells’ large glass surfaces bring in natural light and allow pedestrians on the walkway to see inside the facility. And the column-free design and the prominent placement of the manager’s office help users feel safe.
The eco-friendly design integrates low-energy consumption and sustainable materials. IJboulevard also incorporates features that mimic natural habitats to promote biodiversity and support aquatic life. To improve the health of the river, the design includes bio huts, wood, coconut mats, and porous concrete between the underwater pile supports—offering a habitat for aquatic plants to feed and shelter.
On the Building Team:
Design architect: VenhoevenCS
Landscape architect: DS Landschapsarchitecten
Main contractor: Van Hattum en Blankevoort
Structural engineer: VolkerWessels Infra Competence Centre
MEP: Homij Technische Installaties
Building physics: Buro Bouwfysica
Wayfinding and pedestrian flow consultant: Royal HaskoningDHV
Related Stories
| Sep 2, 2014
Ranked: Top green building sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
AECOM, Gensler, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms.
| Sep 1, 2014
Ranked: Top federal government sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Clark Group, Fluor, and HOK top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest federal government design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 27, 2014
If you value your life, don't walk in Florida
A report from Smart Growth America on pedestrian fatalities shows that cities in Florida and other parts of the Sunbelt are more deadly than others.
| Aug 26, 2014
Ranked: Top industrial sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, Jacobs, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest industrial sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 25, 2014
Photographer creates time-lapse video of 1 WTC using 30,000 photos
Choosing from 30,000 photos he took from the day construction began in 2006 to the day when construction was finished in 2012, Brooklyn-based photographer Benjamin Rosamund compressed 1,100 photos to create the two-minute video.
| Aug 20, 2014
Seattle's King Street Station thoughtfully restored [2014 Reconstruction Awards]
After years of neglect and botched renovations, King Street Station sparkles once again.
| Aug 12, 2014
Design firms invited to submit qualifications for St. Petersburg, Fla., waterfront project
The city of St. Petersburg, Fla., invites firms to submit their ideas for a new and improved pier for Florida's fifth largest city.
| Aug 11, 2014
Air Terminal Sector Giants: Morphing TSA procedures shape terminal design [2014 Giants 300 Report]
The recent evolution of airport terminals has been prompted largely by different patterns of passenger behavior in a post-9/11 world, according to BD+C's 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 8, 2014
Government Sector Giants: Public-sector construction slow, but stirring [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Improving energy performance of existing properties through targeted upgrades and large-scale reconstruction continues to be a federal priority, according to BD+C's 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 6, 2014
25 projects win awards for design-build excellence
The 2014 Design-Build Project/Team Awards showcase design-build best practices and celebrate the achievements of owners and design-build teams in nine categories across the spectrum of horizontal and vertical construction.
