Entrada Urban Vision
BURTON HAMFELT URBAN ARCHITECTURE
By the year 2040, the number of inhabitants in Amsterdam is going to increase by 140.000. The question of where and how these people will live is one of the challenges that Amsterdam faces. Instead of expansion, the city often chooses for the transformation and densification of under-used and forgotten areas. Transformation of Entrada from a mono-functional office area into a mixed-use urban residential neighbourhood is also part of a bigger scale transformation that is taking place in Amsterdam Zuidoost. Other development projects in the area include Amstelkwartier, De Nieuwe Kern, Bijlmer Bajes, Arena Poort, Amstel III and Holendrecht.
Entrada is situated at a favourable location inside the region of Amsterdam. It is very well connected to various working, living and recreation areas of the city by car but most importantly by public transport. Entrada is a part of Duivendrecht, a low-density residential neighbourhood. Across from Entrada lies Amstel Bussiness Park, currently an industrial business area that is soon to be transformed into Werkstad Overamstel, a living and working neighbourhood. Transformation of Entrada into a mixed-use residential neighbourhood will allow it to become a more vital part of the city.
Entrada presents both an urban and sub-urban character since it borders with the highway (A10) and metro line on one side, and with the green low-density neighbourhoods of Duivendrecht on the other. The area is directly connected to A10 thus to the city of Amsterdam, but remains disconnected from the local traffic arteries such as Van der Madeweg, and is therefore isolated from its immediate surroundings. The area holds great potential for recreation due to its green character and water features. Entrada is easily accessible from the metro by foot and from the centre of Duivendrecht by bike, however issues related to safety on street remain yet to be solved.
The starting point for the new urban plan of Entrada is to create a high-density residential neighbourhood which also offers commercial, recreational and business functions as well as public green spaces. The masterplan is based on a grid of nine plots from which seven are built and two form a public park for the residents of Entrada and surrounding neighbourhoods. Careful mix of program, housing typologies, and public spaces help create a comfortable, safe and vital community in a new urban neighbourhood.
New urban plan of Entrada is composed of high, mid and low-rise buildings offering a variety of housing typologies. In the north and west, tall buildings with commercial plinths line up along the highway and the metro line. In the south, Entrada connects and opens up to Van der Madeweg with public facilities. On this side, small-scale housing blocks are proposed as a response to the neighbouring area of row houses. In the east, mid-rise housing blocks are preferred in order to balance the larger scale of Neptunus flats. On this side the plan intends to establish a stronger physical and social relationship between new Entrada blocks and existing Neptunus flats.
The new plan suggests connecting Entrada principally with Van der Madeweg in order to improve the local traffic flow and connect this new residential neighbourhood to its immediate surroundings. It also suggests a direct bike connection from the area to the centre of Amsterdam.
The plan also offers a variety of public spaces, which differ in program and character. It suggests transforming the existing lake into a recreation area for the whole neighbourhood. Furthermore, it proposes a central public space, which consists of a green park and an area for sport and play. Additionally, the plan is dotted with pocket parks, squares, terraces and promenades.
Current composition of ownership allows the area to be developed only in phases and with the collaboration of several stakeholders. The transformation will start from the north-western corner of the site and will be completed over three phases.
High-rise buildings with stacked amenities, public plinth and open spaces is seen more and more as an attractive urban living model for the city of Amsterdam. Offering the possibility to accommodate increased number of dwellings per surface area, high-rise buildings make room for public open spaces in the city. Therefore, tall buildings, which are affordable, adaptable and sustainable can help form healthy and attractive urban neighbourhoods.
Creating a sustainable neighbourhood requires an integral approach both at the scale of the neighbourhood and at the scale of the building. Sustainability does not only imply smart use of energy and other natural sources but also social equality, social integration and fair access to urban resources.
The ambition for Entrada is to create a compact residential neighbourhood, which is green, offers public and commercial facilities, and houses different groups of inhabitants. This mixed-use neighbourhood offers a variety of housing typologies and public spaces, therefore makes different forms of living, working and recreating possible. Entrada offers a home to middle class renters, young buyers and social housing candidates; to single parents, starters, new families and the elderly.
Location
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Program
Housing (1.100 apartments), offices (15.400 m2 GFA), facilities (7.700 m2 GFA) – 110.000 m2 GFA
Company
Burton Hamfelt Urban Architecture
Role
Junior project leader (Freelance Architect/Urbanist)
Year
2017
Client
© Burton Hamfelt Urban Architecture