Beyond the Tracks
An urban response to the railway barrier at the Amsterdam Eastern Harbour Islands, creating a city campus for UvA between the tracks
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
The urban master plan deals with the railway area to the north of the Eastern Harbour Islands in the city center of Amsterdam. For this area, a master plan of building envelopes is constructed, which aims to continue the urban city grid at both sides of the railway barrier. At the meeting of the two main axes of the plan, a campus complex for the UvA is proposed, to initiate the further urban development in the area. The campus clusters the UvA facilities currently spread around the center. On the one hand, the railway area zone forms a natural island in the city, while on the other hand the UvA complex will help the continuation of the urban space, linking both sides of the tracks. The public square between the tracks serves as a focal point for the UvA complex, while rendering the railway passage an integral element of the city grid. Although treated as an integral element of the building complex, the railway is structurally completely separated. The presence of the tracks has an impact on formal and programmatic layout as well as on the structural and technological solutions applied. The rhythm of the track support system is echoed in the measurement system of the building complex - from spatial layout to construction system and façade cladding.