ALMERE MASTERPLAN, NETHERLANDS, ALMERE, 2007

Almere, now a city of over 100,000 inhabitants, has existed less than two decades. In that short time the city has demonstrated enormous potential and vitality. It has shown a commitment to architectural innovation and experimentation. Almere will soon reach the critical mass that will enable it to redefine its ambitions; 10 years from today, the population will approach that of a medium-sized city. Then it will be possible to make the quantum leap from an agglomeration of distinct "equal" centres, each with its own concentration of facilities, to a city with a recognizable hierarchy in the programmatic development. This growth will provide the city center with the basis for a number of essential facilities, such as a cultural nucleus (museum, library, theatre) and large scale retail facilities.

The center of Almere also offers the combination of easy accessibility by car and train, and the availability of building sites, both on the periphery as well as in the center. This means that a new urban office park can be developed in the center with accessibility and visibility equal to a peripheral location.

To mark the quantum leap in Almere, OMA decided to concentrate new program for the city and business centre on only two sites: between the town hall square and the boulevard alongside the Weerwater, and between the station and the planned Nelson Mandela Park. This concentration is essential for the unambiguous delineation of Almere's new status. It will also make it possible to create a new and recognizable form contrasting with the existing, low density elements (specialist retailers, small-scale offices) which make Almere what it is today.

The chosen density means to build a 130,000m2 office complex north of the station, taking maximum advantage of its location. The density of the shopping complex means that the boulevard can be freed from the planned commercial program, leaving space for cultural and leisure programs.

This concentration also offers the opportunity to create a diagonal shortcut between the two shopping districts. The strip to the east of the center will be preserved from immediate development, offering an attractive location for a new expansion initiative at a later stage.

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