Crystal clear logistics

The creation of an extra entrance that promises to become the connective spatial heart of the complex was the starting point for the reorganisation of the Oudemanhuispoort Complex. Result: crystal clear logistics.

For the city centre of Amsterdam, a transformation that must be done with care. Historical maps reveal that a canal ran on the north side of the square, the Manhuis canal, that offered an extra entrance to the complex on the north. The distribution areas extend into the historic buildings along the canals. On Slijkstraat, which today feels like a dark alley, a little square will be created with small public spaces and an extra entrance to the complex.

This extroverted design also provides for a new addition on top of the entrance hall. It is a higher volume in which extra surface area can be created. The structuring character of the square is used as a guideline, as it has been in the past. Thanks to its height, this addition also helps make the university slightly more visible in the city. The transformation will give the complex a boost in terms of volume, so that it has space to handle the organisational developments that are unavoidable in the future. Very well worth further study historically, in terms of urban planning and architecturally.