The
paradoxical relationship between Amsterdam and New York, is that while
the second was originated following the urban model of the first, the architectural
result has been diametrically opposed. So when the competition asked for the exploration
of the Amsterdam-New York
dialectics, we opted for an injection of metropolitanism into Amsterdam through program as a social
condenser rather than just mere form.
Metrodam (short for Metropolitan Amsterdam) was
envisioned as a gridless version of Manhattan; a mix-use complex where the
collective of activities is stimulated not by the rigorous implementation of
the square angle and strict divisions, but by the incorporation of programs
that enhance a diversity of uses and people while allowing an effortless flow
through open, semi-open and enclosed space.
Metrodam is product of the incorporation of paradigmatic
programs that have attracted diversity of uses and people in New
York (Between them the wooden decks of Coney Island, the ice skate
rink in RockefellerCenter, and the open air
Cinema in Bryant Park). Between the key programs of Metrodam we can find a
wooden Beach that turns into an ice skate rink during the winter, an agora or
open air cinema/theather/concert and performance hall, public art installation
spots, and a mixture of retail, office, and residential space.
A key factor of the project is the
incorporation of mixed uses in terms of a sustainable economy for the area and
a balanced injection of activities. The first and second levels will be
designated to retail areas, restaurants, and workshops for creative oriented
industries. The superior floors of the tower are intended for the occupation of
a mixed area of office space with the possibility of residential spaces while
allowing the superior “bridge area” to host residential spaces. The mix of uses
will not only attract a balanced heterogeneous mix of public but will also
create a constant flow of users within the building as its surroundings. In Metrodam
architecture, landscape and urban design are conceived indivisible from each
other.
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