Bijlmerbajes in Amsterdam, a former prison complex in the South-East of the city built in the 1970s, is being redeveloped into a lively and green housing area called Bajeskwartier. LOLA is responsible for the landscape design of the 8 ha site, set to become a natural, vibrant and car-free housing district in Amsterdam.

A vibrant area in development
The concrete towers of the Bijlmerbajes prison have been ominous landmarks in the periphery of Amsterdam for decades. With the city’s urban expansion to the north, south, east and west, the prison complex has gradually been enclaved by Amsterdam, and can now be redeveloped into a vibrant area four housing, culture and nature.

The original prison masterplan was comprised of six linked towers and an administrative building, with a series of courtyards and separate gardens. In the landscape design, the island character of the prison enclosed by walls is conceptually preserved, yet linked to the city around at several positions by new pedestrian bridges. Bajeskwartier will become a car-free housing district, with gardens and areas for recreation and fitness.

The gardens of Bajeskwartier
In total there are about 70 different new gardens and patios in the landscape design. There are gardens to grow vegetables and fruit, as well as sports gardens for playing ball, climbing or do fitness, and there are natural water gardens with reeds and water lilies. The gardens are publicly accessible and interconnected. Together they form a robust green route through the area of the Bajeskwartier. The landscape of the Bajeskwartier works as an ecological step in the nature network of Amsterdam.

Maximum reuse of heritage
Internally, the gardens are connected by the Kalverstraat: the central walking and cycling promenade of Bajeskwartier. In the landscape design, the public promenade is partially built from the old in situ concrete and the prefab concrete elements of the Kalverstraat. Some of the old prefab elements are even left standing as living memories of the old prison. Reuse of building materials is a key part of the redevelopment plans: prefab elements from the existing walls are to be reused as cladding for new residential buildings, prison bars will be used as balustrades and pergolas, and the cell doors are to become balustrades for the new pedestrian bridges.

i.c.w. OMA, FABRICations