Wisselspoor - Utrecht
The former Centrale Werkplaats Utrecht of the NS, better known as Werkspoor, is transforming into Wisselspoor: a pleasant living environment while preserving its industrial heritage. Embracing and strengthening the character already present in the area will create a ‘cool part of the city’ here.
Phased development also makes it possible to achieve change very quickly. Accordingly, the first phase on the north side is now being realised. It was the first area in Utrecht to receive a ‘BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, an ambition we certainly have for the future subareas as well. To this end, a letter of intent has already been signed and the design process is under way.
Wisselspoor is a striking area of about 9 ha on the edge the Utrecht city centre. By preserving and redeveloping the impressive industrial halls and landscape relics into a grand railway park, the area will continue to breathe its history. The area will be car-free, making the characteristic architecture and landscape iconic and creating plenty of space for greenery. Among the many trees, pieces of track, points and buffers will make the history of the site legible.
The Koninklijke Nederlandsche Fabriek voor Werktuigen en Spoormaterieel was founded in 1828. This company was Utrecht’s largest employer with 5,000 employees. The company was internationally known for its trains of indestructible quality and committed staff. This pride still exists and the memory remains through its industrial heritage. We build on the existing industrial character and local quartermasters and add a surprisingly comfortable urban environment. With Wisselspoor, we connect with the past and make it a creative and surprising place that Utrecht can be proud of.
Concept Cityplot
People are looking for places with their own character and want to help determine what their living environment looks like. Besides, the future is unpredictable. That calls for a new kind of urban planning. Or rather, to the way cities were once created. Cityplot does not reason from a predetermined end product, but rather from flexibility and individual development. The model does not rule out or exclude developments in advance, but is receptive to the initiatives offered at the moment of actually starting the transformation. From a ‘plot’ perspective, different building forms and functions become possible. This allows flexible and sustainable responses to current demand and creates a pleasantly diverse environment with its own identity.
Tiered public space
Urban life in Cityplot is not limited to the ground level but steps up to elevated collective gardens and surrounding rooftops. Public, semi-public, collective and private spaces alternate on different levels and contribute to the creation of the circular city. Height differences are exploited to shape transitions. Yard fences are not hard boundaries, but are embraced as identity-defining elements of the plan. Walls and elevations contribute to exciting contrasts between open, closed,
Parking space for the city
Utrecht’s main parks lie in a ring with a radius of about 1.5 kilometres around the zoning area. We see a unique opportunity to add a letter to this existing alphabet of parks. In the easternmost tip of the planning area, one of the city’s most centrally located parks could be developed. A cultural park that, together with the new programme, will be a high-quality addition to the city.
The range of green spaces is completed by the green pocket parks on a linear park running along with the Daalsedijk. In the southern part, a rugged green railway zone has its own distinct quality. Together with the squares, four entirely distinct atmospheres are created where people work and live.
Anchoring in the environment
So how do you make a thought process like the Cityplot fit seamlessly with the specific character and environment of a former NS site? We do so by implementing the four urban atmospheres that collectively convey the unique identity of this area. The four atmospheres create complexity and stratification of the public spaces in Wisselspoor, and that is precisely what makes this area so alluring. The contrast between the urban park and intimate streets and courtyards. The robust character of the railway park versus the soft, green edge around 2e Daalsedijk, which includes small ‘pocket parks’. All these contrasts add excitement and surprise to the area that creates a fitting atmosphere here.
We start immediately!
The development of Werkspoor does not start in a few years, but now!
In our view, an area development should offer a tailored set of functions to users and the neighbourhood at every stage. This means that both before construction activities start, during construction and afterwards, we pay close attention to the functional programme that may change shape over time. After all, during the first ‘raw’ phase, the area has a different appearance than after completion of all subareas. By focusing now on offering a ‘tailor-made’ programme and loading the content, we can both engage users and position the area with the desired brand DNA.
The project was assessed by the Dutch Green Building Council and awarded the BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certificate. This makes it the first area in Utrecht and the eighth area in the whole of the Netherlands to comply. For this, Wisselspoor was assessed in the areas of heat stress, climate adaptation, health, air quality and social cohesion; all themes to which the team paid special attention in developing the plan area.
The design team consists of a collaboration of Synchroon, Skonk, DELVA Landscape Architecture / Urbanism, Studioninedots and De Wijde Blik Communicatie and works closely with the Municipality of Utrecht. Client/selling party is NS Vastgoed.
Stoer Stukkie Stad Wisselspoor Utrecht
Lees een interview met Steven Delva over Wisselspoor
- Location
- Utrecht
- Status
- DO
- Client
- Synchroon, City of Utrecht and NS
- Together with
- Studioninedots, Blauw, Zecc, Space Encounters, MEESVISSER, RHAW, Skonk en De Wijde Blik, Photos: Sebastian van Damme.
- Team
- Steven Delva
- Team
- Sander van den Bosch