With its curved walls, the square offers a floating space and an interesting set of views. West 8 has sought to treat them all with equal importance. The square thereby called for a distinct identity to facilitate all sorts of activities held in this quarter of town. The existing vast empty parking space was therefore transformed into a focal point surrounded by two streets with a predominant pedestrian character.

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Situated in the heart of the city and surrounded by shops and theatres, the design emphasizes the importance of a void, which opens a panorama towards the city skyline. The square is designed as an interactive public space, flexible in use, and changing during day and seasons. Its appearance is a reflection the Port of Rotterdam. By raising the surface of the square above the surrounding area, the void was retained and the "city’s stage" created.

Continue reading " Schouwburgplein (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) "

The promise of its location.

The water tower terrain on the outside of the dike at the north side of the river Merwede is an unique place for the development for housing. With the development of this terrain the possibillity derives to add to Sliedrecht a public promenade and good living with a view on the river.

The urban plan creates a new frontside for the terrain. The small gully at the back will be widened allong the whole terrain. Making the watertower terrain into an island in the river Merwede. The widened stream creates a second frontside. When high tide comes, the gully is under water.

The buildings are made into freestanding blocks with gardens on a street in the middle.

The positioning of the blocks is made to obtain and to strenghten important views on the river. This set-up makes it possible to make houses which have their adress either on the gully, a garden, or on the river Merwede

Continue reading " Watertorenterrein Sliedrecht (Sliedrecht, Netherlands) "

The Centre of the Arts in Dordrecht needed an open-air exhibition space. West 8 designed for this purpose a sculptural garden encircling the centre that even involves one of the roofs. Six meter high fences enclose the garden, creating intimate cabinets. Wisteria and black locust were planted to cover the fences. The exhibition space on the roof can be reached by a lift ladder. The garden terrace is made of steel sheet coming from old vessels, emphasising the naval character of Dordrecht.

Continue reading " CBK Sculptural Garden (Dordrecht, The Netherlands) "

Continue reading " AEGON plein (The Hague, The Netherlands) "

Five years after the works on the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier were completed West 8 designed the surrounding landscape by ironing out the sand depots into vast plateaus, covered with shells. Beds of shells are the ideal rest place for coastal birds at high water. They choose the field that gives the best camouflage, white birds choosing white shells and black birds choosing black shells. Here the fields are divided into geometrical patterns that contrast with the coastline and stress the artificial nature of the colonies. The plateaus offer the motorist crossing the storm surge barrier not just an intriguing bird-infested perspective of graphic patterns but also open up the panorama across the sea.
 

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This square in the city centre of Rotterdam is used twice a week as a marketplace. A forest of shining steel is the main feature of the marketplace. Fourteen angular constructions supply electricity for 200 market stalls.West 8 combined in the design the wishes of various parties concerned. The square now also has a social function and provides sports facilities instead of just being an unattractive storage for market materials.

Continue reading " Visserijplein (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) "

The island lies inbetween the station and the old citycentre. The site used to be part of the former stronghold of the city which is still visible as the main green structure surrounding the old town. The city castle used to be a main part of the fortification system. The programme includes 230 houses, cultural-and workspaces,  a restaurant  and a parkinggarage.

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The residential campus Chassé-terrein is a green enclave within the Singel surrounding Breda’s city centre. Residential buildings are constructed on former military grounds, as are the local government office, a theatre and a museum.

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Two peninsulas in the eastern part of the Amsterdam docks, were to be exploited for water-related activities, as well as 2500 low-rise dwelling units, with a density of 100 units per hectare. For a new interpretation of the traditional Dutch canal house, West 8 suggested new types of three-storey, ground-accessed houses deviating from the usual terraced house in being strongly oriented to the private realm by incorporating patios and roof gardens. By repeating this type in a great variety of dwelling modes and with maximum architectural variation, an animated street elevation emerges with a focus on the individual. At a larger scale, a delicately balanced relationship exists between the repetition of the individual dwellings, the roofscape and the great scale of the docks. Three immense sculptural blocks take their place as landmarks in the vast expanse of houses.

Continue reading " Borneo-Sporenburg (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) "