Apeldoorn's new green gateway

From car park to revived brook valley

Once known as Brinkpark, the area in Apeldoorn, despite its name, was far from the green oasis it implied. Instead, it was a stony car park that concealed the original landscape, disconnecting the city from its natural heritage and the existing brook was running in a tube underground. In a remarkable transformation, the concept of the landscape was inverted, paving the way for an underground parking facility and the revival of the Grift brook, making it visible once again. This approach resulted in a place that alludes to a local type of brook valley, placed right in the heart of Apeldoorn. A solution that made the city regain its connection to the characteristic landscape of the area.

Location

Apeldoorn, the Netherlands

Status

Constructed

Year

2008 - 2013

Project area

2,5 ha

Client

Municipality of Apeldoorn

Collaboration

ZJA, BAM

Photography credits

Melle van Dijk

Making Grift visible once again

In the last two decades Apeldoorn made the Grift Brook visible again in its inner city. At Catharina Amaliapark the brook is integrated in the artificial park landscape and is given space to show its more natural character. The park is located at the entrance of the inner city, surrounded by residential and office spaces. Among them sits the former office of Centraal Beheer, one of the most iconic Dutch buildings from the second half of the 20th century.

Royal allure

To celebrate the arrival of a true new park and affirm the city’s connection with the royal house, the Brinkpark was named the Catharina Amalia Park, after the Dutch crown princess, in 2013. 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.