In collaboration with Being development, OMA has won a competition to redevelop Van der Meulen-Ansemsterrein (VDMA) in central Eindhoven, in the Netherlands. The central site will be rehabilitated into “a vibrant urban hub with housing, offices, and public spaces.”
For Eindhoven, the VDMA site is a special place. Located at the heart of the city, it used to house a match factory and a car park. The winning plan recognizes that past and at the same time utilizes the full potential of the site. With a program tackling housing, employment, green areas and relaxation for the general public, the plan links the shopping district in the city center to the surrounding urban development. The VDMA site is not only rich in history, it also has a bright future ahead. -- Yasin Torunoglu, the alder man responsible for housing, community, employment, and spatial planning for the Eindhoven municipality
Located in the center of Eindhoven and influenced by the industrial era, the competition aimed to transform the partly unused site of 75,000 square meters into a dynamic center of attraction. The VDMA site is currently comprised of industrial heritage buildings, like a 19th-century match factory, and the city’s first parking garage from the late 1920s. OMA’s first venture in Eindhoven will put in place a multi-use area that will mainly support creative initiatives and host “innovative technology companies and address local housing needs”. Along with Residential, offices and public spaces, the project will feature a Brainport Frontdesk, a sustainability hub, and a Micro Forest, that nurtures local vegetation species.
We are very proud that the municipality of Eindhoven chose our plan. The winning plan is a crowning achievement following intense efforts and teamwork by all parties involved. We carefully weighed programming, identity and sustainability to create the best possible balance. With VDMA we aim to inspire the sector as a whole and show that it is possible to ensure radical innovation and realize a green urban development that attracts a wide variety of residents and users –a stage for everyone. -- Being Development co-founder Basvan Damsays.
Generating a pivotal point between the city center, the station area, and the surrounding residential areas, the winning proposal aims to transform historically significant buildings into more suitable spaces for residential and office use. One of the most important buildings on site, the 19th-century match factory, will be completely restored to house cultural, education, and retail programs. Moreover, dominating one-third of the site, the Micro Forest will hold different vegetation species from the natural context to constantly remind the community of the city’s invaluable resources. Volumes with large floor plates will wrap this forest and create co-working spaces for technological startups.
VDMA offers a unique opportunity to revive a centrally located site in Eindhoven that is full of potential. Our plan builds on the history and assets of the city as a center for technological innovation and industrial design and introduces exciting public programs to the area. The redeveloped VDMA site will offer the city a platform for engagement with the most innovative ideas in technology and culture. – David Gianotten, OMA’s design team leader
On another hand, the new residential additions are designed “as stacked volumes”. Actually, the buildings' configuration depends primarily on their surroundings. Facades of the lower levels will be in glass, to reinterpret Eindhoven’s industrial past and facades of the upper volumes will have sustainable contemporary features. A mix of social housing, averagely-priced rental properties, private sector houses and a community home, will put in place a diverse housing system. Led by OMA/David Gianotten, the VDMA masterplan is the work of a whole team of experts including diederendirrix, FABRICations, landscape architect DELVA and designer collective NUL ZES.
VDMA (Van der Meulen-Ansemsterrein), Eindhoven
- Status: Competition
- Client: Being Development
- Location: Eindhoven
- Site: Van der Meulen-Ansemsterrein
- Program: Masterplan
- Partner-in-Charge: David Gianotten
- Project Architect: Mariano Sagasta
- Team: Bozar Ben Zeev, Sandra Bsat, James Carden, Joana Cidade, Caterina Corsi, Benedetta Gatti, Federica Giorgetta, Lex Lagendijk, Jonathan Levine, Juliet Moore, Michael den Otter, Karolina Szczygiel, Chuchu Wu
- Collaborating Architects: Diederendirrix, FABRICations
- Landscape Architect: DELVA
- Community Program Video, Graphics: NulZes
- Building Physics and Sustainability: DGMR
- Structural Engineer: IMD
- Modular Construction: NEZZT
- Installations: Techniplan
- Traffic Consultant: Rebel Group
