MVRDV and Stadgenoot commission international architects for Almere Olympiakwartier (NL)

Adri Duivesteijn, city councilor of Almere, Amsterdam housing association Stadgenoot and MVRDV have met the group of architects commissioned to design each two buildings within the MVRDV masterplan for the Olympiakwartier in new town Almere, the Netherlands. In order to reach a great urban variety within the ambitious plan, 48 of the in total 93 buildings will be designed by 24 different architecture offices from Europe, Japan and America.

Each selected office will design two different buildings ranging from 500 m² to 5,000 m². The architect's selection consists of a varied group of offices, from young and conceptual to more established classic architects, in order to create true variety. The projects will be realized by a group of experienced construction companies under quality care of MVRDV and Stadgenoot who are joint client to the architects, an experimental way of development.

Frank Bijdendijk, director of housing association Stadgenoot: "In order to reach urban variety, flexibility and high quality of a new city, MVRDV and Stadgenoot invited a diverse group of 24 architects to design individual buildings; they range from starting offices to classic established practices. Stadgenoot explores the possibilities for developing a lively inner-city district with long-term development. Being a housing association, the creation of good quality living areas is part of our public responsibility."

The selected offices (a-z):
2012 Architects
Atelier Bow Wow
Baumschlager & Eberle
BKK-3 Architektur
Breitman et Breitman
Bruno. Albert Architecte & Associés
Charles Vandenhove Architecture
Cobe
DierendonckBlancke Architecten
Édouard François
Guallart Architects
Herreros
JDS Architects
Jürgen Mayer H.
Krier Kohl
LOT-EK
Monadnock
Onix
Powerhouse Company
Sadar Vuga Arhitekti
Studio Gang
Urban Think Tank
Van Bergen Kolpa Architecten
Yasutaka Yoshimura Architects

Amsterdam based housing association Housing Stadgenoot commissioned MVRDV to be planner for 60,000 m² work space, 120,000 m² housing (1,000 homes), 15,000 m² education, 2,000 m² commercial space, 2,640 parking spaces and various public spaces. This total has been split into 93 volumes of which MVRDV will design 45. The plan demands individual development of the buildings: a dense mix of living and working leading to a complex urban condition. Retail, a public square and communal gardens are also part of the comprehensive plan which introduces inner-city life to the mostly suburban typology of Almere. Flexibility is a key objective: All ground floors and part of the office and apartment buildings are designed to facilitate future change of use. In this way the owner, Stadgenoot, can adjust the district more and more to the needs of the growing new town and its inhabitants.

Almere, founded in 1984 on reclaimed land, is growing fast into becoming the fifth largest city of the Netherlands. After realizing a new city center, Almere now builds Olympiakwartier as a secondary center. The project follows the 'Almere Principles' which are guide lines towards a sustainable city. Completion is expected in 2016, the larger urban plan is by Dutch office Mecanoo.

MVRDV is currently also engaged in the development of the 'Vision 2030', Almere's ambition to grow into a city with a stronger identity and a total of 350,000 inhabitants by 2030. This involves the building of 60,000 new homes and the creation of 100,000 new jobs for the expected 150,000 new inhabitants. A key investment in infrastructure, public transport and the attractive adjoining green belt including Almere's long coastline will connect the city more with its surroundings.

Source: MVRDV

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