When
dealing with a design proposal for this part is in important to
establish the level of public and private. Keeping the deck
accessible and creating a continuous path from Eudokia to Hofplein
Station is essential for maintaining the unique quality of the
overpass. That is, being an alternative walk through the
neighbourhood. Initially it was thought to divert pedestrians off the
deck and into the street, to enhance the street life at this part.
Also housing was proposed in the voids. Eventually, reviewing all the
possibilities, it was chosen that the deck should remain open to the
public and a second street would be made on top of the deck. Every
third void is used as an entrance to in-block garage-boxes and the
other voids will be rented out as workspace. The opportunity to
connect the workspace in the voids to the above lying apartments is
still possible.
Four
garages open up to every open void. On the other side the garages
open up to a private courtyard, giving access to the backdoors of the
apartments. Also, the workspaces in the voids open op to these
courtyards. From each courtyard six apartments are accessible. The
apartments have their front door connecting to the deck to enhance
the activity in the street. The interesting part of this concept is
the relationship between the neighbours. You share your garage
entrance with different neighbours than you share your private
courtyard with. On deck level, you all share the same street which
communicates with the apartments of the adjacent building block. This
will create an intense network of relationships and hopefully a
strong healthy neighbourhood.
Because
we create parking spaces within the building block we hope to reduce
the amount of parking needed in the street. The street should be
redesigned to become a more pedestrian orientated street, preferably
with a same level paving. This will create a more appealing street
for the workspaces in the voids, but also for the houses across the
street. For the people who live around this part of the
neighbourhood, we would like to make the existing street as appealing
to walk through as the new street on the deck.
The
deck itself remains public space. The apartment’s main access is
from this deck. The two apartments on +7 meter level have the
opportunity to create a semi-private garden on the deck, but this is
left over to the architect responsible for that block. In total, nine
blocks have to be developed, with special attention to the four
corners. On the corner of Vijverhofstraat and Bergweg lies the
opportunity to create a high rise apartment building, which can
create a balance with the apartment tower at Eudokiaplein. The tower
can be organized in the same way as the courtyard apartments,
creating a hierarchy in private, public and communal. The big
question though is what to do with parking.