Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek

100WPA_N506.jpg

Amsterdam, Netherlands | 2006

In 1981, Westergasfabriek, which was a nineteenth-century factory on the outskirts of central Amsterdam, was rezoned as recreation space. Kathryn Gustafson won the commission with ‘Changement’, a proposal produced in collaboration with Francine Houben of Mecanoo Architects.

The resulting, Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek is one of Gustafson Porter + Bowman’s defining projects and is considered a model of brownfield reclamation, within a physically dense urban context. The scheme establishes a delicate balance between historical buildings and the surrounding landscape, providing access to innovative spaces of invention and interpretation, and its success can be attributed to an effective design process which incorporated public input from its beginnings.

Today it is a vibrant cultural centre for the arts and a meeting place for neighbouring communities.

“Westergasfabriek is one of our defining projects. It forms a seamless whole with the buildings it surrounds and is a meeting place for everyone.”
— Neil Porter, Founding Partner
“Gustafson Porter + Bowman have been supremely successful in reflecting and complementing the existing buildings’ form and character in the surrounding grounds with all the beautiful and very special areas that have been created.”
— Evert Verhagen, Project Manager

Aflevering 4.

Awards

2010    EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award (Conservation)
2009   Green Good Design
2007    Landscape Institute Awards Winner – Design over 5ha
2007    International Urban Landscape Award, Topos – among the 5 shortlisted
2006    Finalist, European Prize for Urban Public Space
2005    2nd Place Winner Built Project, RIBA Urban Space By Design Awards
2004    Golden Pyramid, Netherlands National Architectural Award