Vision 2030 / MVRDV
With the city of Almere’s growth expected to require thousands of new residences, work places and related facilities, MVRDV was commissioned to collaborate with the city to design a concept structure vision to accommodate such drastic expansion. MVRDV’s Vision 2030 will create a framework to satisfy the growth for about 20 years. ”The structure vision for Almere is more than an urban master plan…” said Adri Duivesteijn, city councilor of Almere, “…it describes how the city can develop in economic, cultural and social terms. The expansion is not a quantitative effort. Even though the number of 60,000 new homes is impressive, the main objective is the addition of new qualities. Almere wants to serve the demand of the Randstad and at the same time needs the chance to develop into an ecologic, social and economically sustainable city”.
More about the city plan after the break.
Almere transformed in thirty years from an empty stretch of land to a city of 185,000 inhabitants. Now, the city is once again undergoing transformation as it diversifies by introducing various densities, programs and characters. MVRDV’s new plan consists of four major development areas “each with their own character, logic and identity.” The areas include: Almere IJland, Almere Pampus, Almere Centre, and Almere Oosterwold.
Almere IJland, a new island off the coast of IJ-Lake, (designed with Adriaan Geuze of West8 and William McDonough) is a series of urban and nature reserve islands with the primary objective to improve water quality in the lake. With the potential to house 5,000 and 10,000 residences, the exact future of the island is flexible and can adapt to fit a variety of programmatic needs. Almere Pampus, a high density area with 20,000 homes, will focus on the existing harbor and be open to experimental housing. In time, Almere Centre will become the cultural and economical heart of the city in addition to the 5,000 homes, offices and public amenities and new programs it will feature. The last component, Almere Oosterwold, will reserve areas for future development after 2030 as it devoted to more rural and organic urbanism.
A new network of infrastructure will connect the metropolitan area of Amsterdam with Almere at Almere IJland, which will serve as “a connector, literally as well as economically and culturally”. The network will eventually connect Almere Pampus to Utrecht, yet the infrastructure will require large investments to become the successful component needed to connect with the rest of the area.
The plan will reach success because it is a flexible development strategy. Duivesteijn explains, “It is a framework which can be filled in by the people of the city. By remaining flexible we create possibilities to adjust the plans to future opportunities.”
2030? I was wondering how the masterplan deals with the threat of rising sea levels?
Christoph give them some credit!
the low-land people r expert in solve this kind of problems.. like rising sea =) Hope they can save the world!
Some of the images were made by Luxigon.
The night view for exemple.
Thoose fly by views are worthless.. I don’t see how the masterplan connects new parts to the excisting city.. I also miss illustrations to get an idea of the intentions of the different streetlevel impacts.. I sounds good so please show us!
This is a strategy that not only solves or rather improves the Almere economically and culturally, but it has great potential concerning global warming threads of rising sea levels.
I just don’t wanna live in MVRDV designed city!!!
Those images are rather vague. How can we critique a project we can’t see it?
Otherwise, MVRDV does some nice work, as does William McDonough. I wouldn’t want to live in a city that was entirely designed by one or two firms but I at least trust these two would make an interesting, and environmentally responsive, place.
To all the rising sea level believers:
1. It’s not even sure the sea levels will rise
2. Almere lies at a lake, not a sea, which is protected by the Afsluitdijk
Well, We are now in the age of cosolidation and this firm too is passing the revolutionary Era to a new and burgouse view of “zooning plans”, standart roads, transportation problems and a mediocre view of the present implanted in the future.
what a waste of talents and skils
The possibility of rising sea levels has been acknowledged by the Dutch already about 30 years ago, and all necessary measures are now in place. One third of the country lies under sea level, to take the bet is just not an option.
Since a great flood in 1953 there have been continuous improvements, formerly through the Delta Works, and currently through the High Water Security Program (hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma).
There are also specially elected governmental bodies that are exclusively dedicated to Water Management (Hoogheemraadschap)
…this project have good idea..