Neighboorhood 9

Renewal post-war housing, Amsterdam
Mixed programme
Client: Eigen Haard, Amsterdam
2001

The vision paper for Neighbourhood 9 within former De Stijl member Cornelis van Eesteren’s General Extension Plan (AUP, neighbourhoods were numbered) was made with a taskforce formed by representatives of the residents, the city and the housing trust which owned the dwellings. Neighbourhood 9 was conceived with characteristic hook shaped block layouts. At the southside the neighbourhood ran the Albardagracht canal, at the east side was the Eendrachtspark. The task was to develop a consistent view on a renewed urban layout and to study the possibilities of the existing dwellings.

Typological study demonstrated that the dwellings in north-south running blocks had considerably less domestic quality and were less profitable than the other dwellings. Based on that finding, the urban layout has been adjusted on detail level.

The character of the east-west running streets was enhanced. All urban greenery and parking were concentrated on these newly articulated lanes. The lanes run up to the Albardapark. At their south sides the runup staircase flats remain, modernised by adding access galleries and roof houses. New terraced houses with deep front gardens are built at the north side, responding to the shortage of houses in the AUP.

The north-south running street are made car-free. Informal yards form routes to the waterside of Albardagracht which is made car-free as well.

The strength of the proposal was its phaseability, the clearness of the public realm and the domestic comfort which could be realize without largescale demolition. Especially the urban low-rise ambiance was appreciated.