Esplanade

City Center
Urban Design
Urban Management

Almere | The Netherlands

The transformation from a hulking concrete slab into a public space which forms the entrance to the city and can host big city events.

Client:	Municipality of Almere
Year:	2017 – 2018
Partner:	LITH Advies, Pieters Bouwtechniek, Unibail Rodamco
Status:	Realised
Type:	Development plan
Location:	Almere Stad, Almere
Surface area:	2,2 ha
Program:	Public space
Urban planning:	ECHO Urban Design
Landscape design:	ECHO Urban Design

Creating well-being on a large square

We analyzed how people moved around in the space and used that information to design a functional floor plan. We embraced the square’s existing layering to create a terraced landscape. The scattered green plains enable well-being on many levels and offer inviting places to relax and play. The park softens the hars edges of the city and creates a positive public space where new development can take shape. Despite this huge transformation, the square can still hold 20.000 people on event days.