丨荷兰阿姆斯特丹丨Inside Outside,Mecanoo

Marktkwartier

Marktkwartier

Location

: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Client

: Volker Wessels Vastgoed & Ballast Nedam Development

Scope of work

: Landscape masterplan and design for the transformation of the ‘Foodcenter’ from a restricted-access wholesale area to an urban residential area : “ Het Marktkwartier”

Urban plan

: Mecanoo

Date

: 2017 - ongoing

Size

: 9.35 ha

Market Island brings a series of new, outdoor spaces. Their composition resonates with the functional and linear rhythm of the existing site, with a nod to the tightly-arranged agricultural crop rows that populate the surrounding landscapes of Amsterdam.

Each of the separate hubs, from the Markthal to the new Foodcentre, are connected by clear lines. The landscape design creates a continuous surface that runs underneath and engages the architecture -- as if a striped tablecloth bedecks the site, prepped and set with dishes, cups, and cutlery. The lines, distinguished as stripes of a different pavement, are interspersed with rows displaying four types of planting, from lawns to flowery meadows, ornamental grasses and flowering perennials. Large open areas can be structured according to their variegated colours, to serve the market and other general connections. Some of the paved lines that spread out on a larger scale can be appropriated as a place for sports, play, gatherings and events.

The graphic accents added to the built environment give Market Island an active, urban atmosphere as they can appoint market stalls, food trucks and temporary pieces of furniture. In the enclosed court gardens, the character and functionality of the lines depends on the context in which they appear. For instance, the widely paved lines can turn into squares while the planting lines can become compact gardens when hemmed in between two buildings.

All trees have been selected for their edible fruits and nuts. Apple, pear, quince, cherry, berry, hazelnut and walnut trees add an interactive aspect for visitors to engage with. The trees make up an edible city in which its inhabitants and local fauna are provided with a steady supply of home-grown food. In the Market’s meadow, trees are strategically positioned so as to highlight the view of the Markthal from both under and above the canopy. In the court gardens, however, the trees get a chance to form an entirely natural habitat on their own terms. An eruption of multi-stem or low-hanging branches will echo the multiform and densely assembled urban development bustling in close vicinity to these gardens of a changeless calm.

Team Inside Outside

: Jana Crepon, Aura Luz Meliz, Vincent Lulzac, Federica Zatta, Agnieszka Zborowska, Desirée Pierluigi, Jessica Minn, Giacomo Santoro, Diana Lukjanska, Pratyusha Suryakant, Nur Zayat, Daniyal Sherafat, Manuel Milone

Images: © Inside Outside ; © Volker Wessels vastgoed & Ballast Nedam, © Mecanoo