Van Beuningenplein / By Concrete Architectural Associates

Amsterdam, Netherlands
Concrete Architectural Associates
Post By:Kitticoon Poopong

Photo © Courtesy of Ewout Huibers--Entrance at night

Van Beuningen square is located at the van Hallstraat, West district of Amsterdam. Building an underground two-layer parking facility gives cause for the redesign of the entire square.

Photo © Courtesy of Ewout Huibers--Pavilion 2 at night

Based on the initial ideas of the West district of Amsterdam and Dijk&Co Landscape Architects, after a small closed competition, Concrete was asked to design the pavilions positioned on the square.

Photo © Courtesy of Ewout Huibers--Playground at night

Looking at the bigger picture, Concrete introduced the concept to create a living room for the neighbourhood on the square, integrating the pavilions. The rectangular space is divided into zones. Each zone or room is adapted to specific functions and age groups.

Photo © Courtesy of Ewout Huibers--Entrance

The rooms either are sunken into the ground or elevated. Three zones are framed by steel beams, elevated 4 meters above ground level and connected to a pavilion. These beam frames create intimacy and shape room-type spaces on the square. Wooden pergola beams right-angled to the steel beams contribute to the space perception.

Photo © Courtesy of Ewout Huibers--Pavilion 1

The first room is the entrance zone. Below the steel framework, the entrance is marked as well as the car entrance for the parking garage. The connection pavilion includes a teen-centre called ‘the garage’, a place for teenagers meet and organize activities. A hangout and ‘panna’ soccer field are situated on the roof. The next room contains playing fields and skate spots. The living room is next to this, again a framed zone with picnic tables and a stage.

Photo © Courtesy of Ewout Huibers--Project overview

Photo © Courtesy of Ewout Huibers--Garage entrance

The stage offers the possibility to give performances and install a movie screen. The stage additionally contains two snug sunken sitting areas and some trees. This framed room is connected to a pavilion containing the teahouse and accommodations for the square-supervisor. The roof is accessible from the teahouse and serves as a terrace. In the final zone, the frame is connected to a smaller pavilion, to provide an additional passenger entrance for the parking garage. This framed room is furnished by design agency Carve. A blue wavy landscape filled with playing facilities, a sandbox and climbing trees. Swings hang from the wooden pergola beams and the steel frame contains a rain curtain.

Photo © Courtesy of Ewout Huibers--Pavilion 1 terrace

Photo © Courtesy of Ewout Huibers--Pavilion 2

Photo © Courtesy of Ewout Huibers--Pavilion 2 detail view

The steel frames are accommodated with coloured LED lighting, which light up the rooms when the evening falls. The colours are programmed a year in advance and react to seasons and specifics days. For example, the square colours red on Valentinesday and orange on Queensday.

Photo © Courtesy of Ewout Huibers--Sports field

Photo © Courtesy of Ewout Huibers--Overview of sports field

Materials:
The square is furnished with red clinkers, big stone tree- and green planters, deep blue painted asphalt and rubber for the playing fields and playground. Almost all excising trees are preserved and supplemented with new plants and bushes. The pavilions are built with large glass facades, covered in steel mesh. The glass makes the pavilion transparent and the mesh protects against the sun and bouncing balls. Where the green touches the pavilions, ivy will cover the façades in time. Large pivot doors (3,6 meters high) will open the teen-centre and teahouse, when the weather allows it.
Description from the Architects:

Photo © Courtesy of Ewout Huibers--Overview of project

Video: Animatie van Beuningenplein

Project Data
Project name: Van Beuningenplein
Location:  1051 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Program: Square: 2 playing fields, several playgrounds, a stage and seating area, landscaping; Pavilion 1: teen-centre, car parking and passenger entrance garage; Pavilion 2: square-supervisor, teahouse and passenger entrance garage; Pavilion 3: passenger entrance garage
Materials:

• Façade: Dark grey coated Janssen steel framed glass with pivot doors 3,6 meters high. Timber frame wall covered with dark grey Eterflex sheets. Façade and closed wall parts covered with galvanised mesh sheets.
• Terrace: Bankirai platform wood
• Steel frames: Galvanised steel IPE-600 beam. Billinga wood pergola beams 440x85 mm. RGB coloured LED-strip lighting.
• Plein: Circular benches entrance square - bankirai wooden parts on a galvanised steel construction. Stage teahouse - Bankirai platform wood. Picnic tables and benches near teahouse - concrete and Bankirai wooden seating.

Design Year: April 2007

Completion Year: March 2011

The people

Client/Owner: West district of Amsterdam (formerly know as westerpark)

Architects: Concrete Architectural Associates
Project team: Rob Wagemans, Erikjan Vermeulen, Bram de Maat

Design square: District West, concrete, Ontwerp en Ingenieursburo Carve, Van Dijk & Co Landschaps Architecten

Design pavilion/frames: concrete

Constructional engineering: Infra Consult + Engineering

Contractor: Balast Nedam Infra Noordwest, Balast Nedam Bouw
Photographs: © Ewout Huibers

Note>>Location in this map, indicate city/country but not exact address.

Related articles

• Residence and Artist's Studio Connected by a Glass Bridge (freshome.com)
• Facilities for Children and Youth Sport Activities "La Camisera" \ Cerrejon architects (plusmood.com)
• In Detail> 9/11 Memorial Museum Entry Pavilion (archpaper.com)
• Tea Pavilion on the Water / Tze-Chun Wei (archdaily.com)
• Castell d'Emporda by Concrete (dezeen.com)
• Profile: An American in Amsterdam Talks About Bike Culture (Video) (treehugger.com)