Bruggen de President / Drost + van Veen architecten

Architects: Drost + van Veen architecten
Location: Haarlemmermeer, The Netherlands
Project Architects: Evelien van Veen, Simone Drost
Client: Gemeente Haarlemmermeer
Structural Engineer: ABT Delft
Project year: 2006
Photographs: Jeroen Musch

Accents in a new rustic business park

The business park ‘ De president’ is located in the municipality Haarlemmermeer.
As an underlay for the terrain we used the polder-outline of plots and waterway.
Situated in the middle of the business park is a collective park area situated: ‘The Presidentshof’.

This park breaks through the rigid polder-outline and forms a contrast with it’s organic design.

general plan

In the businesspark ‘ De President’, Drost + van Veen architecten designed twelve bridges: Nine slow traffic bridges ad three car bridges.

All of the bridges are designed as one family of images, relating in shape and materialization.

The four bridges across the neighbouring main canal are designed as slow traffic bridges. These bridges are the informal entrance of the area with a willful but soberview.

Directly through the park area ‘De Presidentshof’ is a promenade for walking and cycling along the water. The eight bridges along this park route are like links of a chain.

They connect to the atmosphere of the park and become one part with ‘De Presidentshof” by the use of natural elements and construction details.

section diagrams

The foundation, support and railing are made as one continuous element.
This strong line has been the design concept for all of the bridges.
These clear forms give the bridges its rough looks which is related to the rough polder landscape. This is a contrast with the rest of the materialization of the bridges.
The used tree-trunks are related with the surrounding park.