Currently, Amsterdam is expanding at an exponential rate with space becoming limited and streets becoming even more congested. Zwarts + Jansma have addressed the need for Amsterdam to develop a way to accommodate the growing society by taking a concept by Dutch engineering company Strukton and pushing it to new levels. AMFORA (Alternative MultiFunctionele Ondergrondse Ruimte Amsterdam – Alternative Multifunctional Underground Space Amsterdam) is a network of almost 50 km of tunnels that will be built underneath the canals in the town center to provide space for parking, and sports and leisure facilities.
More about AMFORA after the break.
The plan is being discussed intensely in Amsterdam and city authorities have already signaled interest. If the plan were to be implemented, residents and visitors would reach Amsterdam from underground. Within this multi-story tunnel system, the space would contain movie theaters, supermarkets, swimming pools and other sport facilities, keeping the underground city alive. For cars, upon leaving the Amsterdam ring road A10 all car traffic would be directed below street level.
In terms of energy efficiency, AMFORA is CO2-neutral, with energy for heating provide through heat pumps, and excess energy used for temperature control in the buildings above ground. Air quality will improve as exhaust fumes will be filtered using state-of-the-art technology, so particulate matter and other harmful substances will no longer reach the atmosphere.
The project is in collaboration with Okra landschapsarchitecten, Delfttech
Read more about AMFORA here.
