P&R Hooggelegen Utrecht, Holland Building Project News, Dutch Design Image

Utrecht Park & Ride Facility

Dutch Park & Ride Facility Development in design by KCAP Architects&Planners with JHK Architecten

17 Dec 2009

P&R Hooggelegen Utrecht

KCAP and JHK win P&R Hooggelegen Utrecht competition

Rotterdam, 17 December 2009 – KCAP Architects&Planners together with JHK Architecten have been awarded first prize in the competition for the park and ride facility P&R Hooggelegen Utrecht. The project is being commissioned by the Municipality of Utrecht and will be realized in two phases, each comprising a 31.000 m2 building with 1.000 parking places. Phase one is expected to be delivered in 2011, phase two between 2012 and 2015.

The P&R will be located along highway A2 Utrecht-Amsterdam between Papendorp office park and the Hooggelegen intersection. Access is via a new highway exit and a viaduct which is currently under construction, crossing the highway and connecting the new area of Leidsche Rijn with Utrecht.

Along the highway the new ensemble appears as a landmark. Lifted one level above the ground, the 9 and 7 storey high buildings are visible over the new viaduct and a noise protection wall. With their shape the triangular buildings address the key views in the surroundings. The facades will be made out of light bronze and silvery anodized aluminum lamellas. With their diagonal orientation they emphasize the buildings’ dynamic character and play a game of open and closed which depends on the observer’s viewpoint.

An internal route on the second level connects the two car parks by bridges, passing commercial facilities and ultimately leading users to the bus stop outside by the main entrance. The ground level is entirely kept free for car entries and exits, taxis, busses and drop-off areas.

The hearts of both parking garages reveal huge open spaces filled with trees. Allowing for natural daylight and ventilation through the open facades the design celebrates its green interiors. At the same time it works in a sustainable way by reducing artificial lighting and render mechanical ventilation unnecessary.

“Our concept for P&R Hooggelegen is flexible and innovative. Until the second building phase is executed, the first can perfectly function on its own. All aspects of the design concept, accessibility and the iconic appearance are incorporated in each individual building,” says Irma van Oort of KCAP.

“A new organizational concept is introduced for the parking garage which provides for high efficiency.,” states Ad van Aert of JHK. “We believe we have found a truly sustainable solution to flexibly handle the peaks in commuters’ traffic.”

P&R Hooggelegen Utrecht images / information from KCAP Architects&Planners

KCAP Architects

Location: Utrecht, Netherlands

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KCAP Architects&Planners
KCAP Architects&Planners is an internationally operating design firm specialised in architecture and urbanism. KCAP holds offices in Rotterdam (NL) and Zurich (CH). KCAP is led by its four partners – Han van den Born, Kees Christiaanse, Ruurd Gietema and Irma van Oort.

Since its founding in 1989 by Kees Christiaanse, has KCAP grown to be one of the leading and most influential offices for architecture and urban planning in Europe.

KCAP currently works with an international staff of 90 employees who are committed to all phases of the architectural and urbanistic design processes. KCAP’s oeuvre ranges from complex urban transformations and landscape design to architecture and interiors throughout Europe and Asia.

In its 20 years of existence more than 300 urban plans have been developed, of which more than 200 are approved, and 250 buildings have been designed of which more than 100 have been realised.

JHK Architecten
JHK Architecten is a nationally operating architectural firm, established in Utrecht (NL).
It is an office with approx. 30 employees and is led by Ad van Aert, Chris de Jonge and Titia Luiten.
Leading projects of the last years are `deBrug/deKade’, an office building for Unilever above the existing factory at Rotterdam and several buildings on the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, such as `The Strip’, the central facility building.

Just recently JHK with `the Cope’, car park at Papendorp Utrecht, the Netherlands, was nominated for the Rietveldprijs 2009, a biennial architecture award for the city of Utrecht.