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Saut de loup
parklandscape
car and tram
bike
Introduction
Schiedam is a city with a rich history originating in the
late middle Ages. Originally evolved from a dammed
polderland, most of the old dikes that shielded
the city against floods are still visibly present. This
certainly applies for the given project site where both
infrastructure and buildings logically follow the old dikestructure. Keeping the history of Schiedam in mind,
the differences in elevation resulting from these dike
structures will be used as a starting point for our design
proposal.
The assigned strategic site is crossed by the river Schie
and flanked by two city parks. One is located at the
‘Marconistraat’; the other is the historically significant
city-park de Plantage. These specific qualities of the
strategic site: the presence of the river, its location
between the parks and the elevation caused by the
old dike bodies all come together at the project site.
By taking these qualities as a starting point, using the
different levels of height in the landscape as a leading
feature, we aim to create a new connection between
the two adjacent city parks
parking
green connection
The Koemarkt
The assigned design location consists of two
different parts (the Koemarkt and the (former)
VROM-site) separated by the residential block on
the Rotterdamsedijk. Currently, the Koemarkt is a
disorderly and busy city square with a scattered
layout of shops and restaurants. Besides this, the
Koemarkt obviously has certain qualities. The existing
buildings surrounding the square form a clearly defined
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boundary, and, because of its convenient location,
the square is extensively used as a transport hub for
traffic connecting to the old town. By using the existing
differences in elevation to strengthen these specific
qualities we aim to transform the Koemarkt from transit
area to a multiple-purpose urban space.
level -1 / parking
groundlevel
rooflevel
Because the car is the most prominent factor at the
Koemarkt, the current road-layout makes the square
poorly traversable by other road users. The recently
planned adjustments to diminish car traffic at the
square opens the possibility to isolate cars from other
road users. This gives us the opportunity to transform
the square by using the existing differences in height
into a pedestrian area where car (and tram) cross at a
sub-surface level.
By linking the most obvious pedestrian routes over
this newly created landscape, the square is converted
into an area where one can walk or drive freely without
constantly having to pay attention to other traffic.
Inspired by the Ha-ha from English landscape
architecture we use the Saut de Loup to partly conceal
car traffic and change the Koemarkt into a parklandscape. A sloping square where one can roam
around unrestricted and allocate all kinds of different
functions. An area where each user relates differently to
ground level.
By this simple procedure the Koemarkt will be
transformed from a passage-area in to a multipurpose
urban area.
The VROM-site
The former VROM site is currently an odd-comeshort area on the border between the city centre and
industrial periphery. A somewhat forgotten place,
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Blok 1
V-1
BG
V1
V2
Subtotaal: Woningen: Commercieel: 350 m²
1.250 m²
1.250 m²
400 m²
3.250m²
2.000 m²
1.250 m²
Blok 2
V-1
BG
V1
V2
V3
V4
V5
Subtotaal:
Woningen: Commercieel: 150 m²
2.000 m²
2.200 m²
1.690 m²
920 m²
195 m²
195 m²
7.350 m²
5.000 m²
2.350 m²
Totaal: Totaal Woningen: Totaal Commercieel: 10.600m²
7.000 m²
3.600 m²
Totaal parkeren 160
blok 1
blok 2
surrounded only by backsides of adjacent buildings. A
place that has nonetheless much potential thanks to its
location near the Schie and its favourable orientation
to the sun. With our proposal we plan to transform the
former VROM site into an attractive residential area.
By doing so we aim to take the first step towards
a sustainable development of the industrial area
alongside the river Schie.
With our design the contradiction between the areas
on either side of the Rotterdamsedijk is taken as a
starting point. The private, intimate nature of the VROM
site contrasts sharply with the busy, open nature of the
Koemarkt. By pushing these differences to a maximum
level, we aim to fully emphasize the specific qualities
of the two sub-sites. Doing so a coherent whole is
created of which the individual and contradictive parts
like Yin and Yang undoubtedly belong together. To
realize a better coherence between the two sub-sites,
the barrier, which the housing on the Rotterdamsedijk
currently forms, has to be opened-up. By piercing
through at two different places it is transformed
from barrier into access area. A line where one can
experience the differences between the two sublocations every time when it is crossed.
On the VROM site itself we have designed a residential
area, directed to the water, which simultaneously
solves the parking problem. By lifting the landscape
to the same level of the Koemarkt, we create a raised
square under which a parking lot is planned. The
square itself defines a new work- and residential area.
By interfering with a raised square the intimate nature
of the site will be intensified at the same time reversing
its backside atmosphere.
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With our design existing contradictions are optimally
used to create a coherent whole. Contradictions that
are particularly articulated by the transition between
the two sub-locations. This is specifically experienced
when crossing the Rotterdamsedijk, where different
visual lines emphasize the shifting of ground level. At
the Schie-side the sloping park-landscape coming from
the Koemarkt contrasts with the angular, paved nature
of the raised square. By using the same procedure on
either side of the Rotterdamsedijk, opposite results
are achieved and simultaneously a coherent whole is
designed. This is specifically articulated at the applied
shifting of ground level: where at the Koemarkt the car
goes below ground so as to give rise to an open park
landscape, at the VROM-site the landscape is lifted to
create an urban square.
A pedestrian bridge completes the rearrangement
of the designated location over the river Schie. In
this manner the two city parks sitting adjacent to the
strategic site are linked. By doing this we succeed
to transform the design location from transit- into
residential area. With this plan we arrange cohesion by
using antithesis and create a new residential area that
forms the missing link between the two city-parks. With
our design an area is formed which shapes the future
of Schiedam, while simultaneously the first step into a
sustainable development of the Schiekade is taken.
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