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The island neighbourhood of Oosterdokseiland lies just east of Amsterdam Centraal railway station. In recent years, a number of futuristic buildings have ushered in a new identity for the district, and pumped an abundance of residential and office spaces into Amsterdam's urban fabric. The main branch of the Amsterdam Public Library is located here, standing alongside the Amsterdam Conservatory, while a DoubleTree hotel by Hilton ensures a constant flow of tourists eager to explore the modern side of the historic city. The gradual development of this area began 15 years ago and has since attracted numerous high-profile companies, including Vodafone, TomTom, and Takeaway.com. Finally, developer BPD will complete the realization of this 225,000-square-metre area by building on the site's last lots.
The neighbourhood's final segment will include 72,500 square metres of space for public facilities, apartments, and offices for travel company Booking.com. "The design for this fully integrated new urban campus is envisioned as a highly multifunctional living and working environment, enriched with special amenity and public programs," said Ben van Berkel, Founder of UNStudio. "The urban gesture of the building weaves together with the existing streets, while the east side of the building will become a recognizable emblem for Oosterdok."
This final piece of the puzzle has been long awaited. The global economic slump delayed build-out, but with the current recovery, the neighbourhood vision can finally be accomplished. "Oosterdokseiland is an appealing, central place to live, work, and relax near Centraal Station," said Grondzaken Alderman Eric van der Burg. "We are pleased to be able to create new public and living space here as well as offer Booking.com, which has its roots in Amsterdam, a venue that suits its growth and innovative way of working, something that is mirrored in the spirit of the city itself. Interdependence and mixing functions are at the heart of this project.”
Renderings of the finalized design and site plan will be released at a later time, giving us a closer look at the finer details of the ambitious plan. The development should be fully completed by 2020.
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