Parking becomes Park

Unlike its name suggests, the Brinkpark in Apeldoorn was not a park at all but merely a car park. Even the city map of Apeldoorn did not identify the area as a park. We were asked to turn this space into a genuine park, with facilities for different types of users, and simultaneously meet the parking needs with the construction of an underground parking garage designed by ZJA.

The Grift

By reducing the infrastructure and maximising the planting, OKRA has maximised the greening of this space. The result is a beautiful green city park that evokes an artificial image of a Veluwe stream valley. The Grift, a valuable brook, has been brought above ground and is the inspiration for designing an artificial brook valley landscape in the park.

Royal Allure

In 2013, the Brinkpark was named the Catharina Amalia Park, after the Dutch crown princess, thus doing justice to the city’s new crown jewel. Apeldoorn has not only gained a city park, but its connection with the original landscape has been strengthened by presenting a crucial link in the system of streams in a prominent manner. For other cities, the combination of an underground car park, a park and a water system is an example of how negative urban space can be transformed into a pleasant and meaningful green space.