Official handover and design presentation of Oostenburg Island (Stadswerf Oostenburg)
Amsterdam, 15 March 2018 - The Dutch Central Government Real Estate Agency has conducted the official handover of Stork Werkspoor’s former wharfs on Oostenburg Island to Stadswerf Oostenburg Ontwikkeling (SOO), a joint venture between real estate developers VORM and Steenwell. During the event, which took place yesterday, Project Architect Raymond van Sabben (Paul de Ruiter Architects) gave a brief presentation of the island’s design.
The handover represents a major step in the transformation of Oostenburg into an edgy new neighbourhood located just a stone’s throw from Amsterdam’s city centre. The island is currently popular among Amsterdammers owing to the presence of collective–bar-restaurant Amsterdam Roest, and is a familiar business address on account of the INIT building, home to the editorial offices of several national newspapers. But by 2023, Oostenburg will have undergone a complete transformation into a desirably vibrant, mixed-use development with a healthy mix of owner-occupied and rental accommodation for up to 1,500 new households.
Stadswerf Oostenburg
The parcel of land handed over today is situated on the south-eastern side of the island, between the nineteenth-century monument that is the Van Gendthallen and the Oostenburgervaart canal. The new design retains the island’s industrial roots as well as the sense of community derived from living on an island, while providing roughly 450 new homes and designated spaces for entrepreneurs, all of which will share the collective neighbourhood name: “Stadswerf Oostenburg”. The designs are by the joint team of Paul de Ruiter Architects, Ronald Janssen Architects and Bastiaan Jongerius Architects. And the municipality has appointed Kristiaan Borret, university professor and chief architect of the Brussels-Capital Region, as project supervisor and urban planner. Commenting on the design, Steenwell director Sylvester Snijder said: “Key elements, such as that distinct island sense of community, the contrast between water and land and the rugged yet vivid character of the site are all reflected in the stunning design by these architects.”
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Stadswerf Oostenburg Ontwikkeling (SOO) is a joint venture between real estate developers VORM, based in Papendrecht, and Steenwell, based in Groningen. In transforming the site into a residential district, they will be working closely with consultants from BBN, which as the designated developer from the procurement phase to the final handover of the completed development are responsible for the management of the project’s construction, technical details and finances. Amsterdam-based architecture firms Paul de Ruiter Architects, Bastiaan Jongerius Architects and Ronald Janssen Architects are responsible for the project’s designs. Public space design is by the joint team of urban design outfit Urhahn and landscape architects Dijk & co. The consortium is completed by construction company CAE, structural engineering consultants DPA and installations consultants Hiensch Engineering.
View Stadswerf Oostenburg’s designs here.