How does design contribute to connecting two parts of the city?
Boerhaave Passage Schiedam
In collaboration with the municipality of Schiedam, De Zwarte Hond has designed the Boerhaave Passage, a pleasant underpass forming a vital new connection for the town. The new passageway overcomes the barrier of the railway, connecting businesses, amenities and residents from various districts. Many people will use the passageway every day, travelling in one direction in the morning and back again in the afternoon. Every time they pass through, they will encounter or experience something or learn something new. This spatial and personal transition is reflected in the passageway’s design. The use of two-tone tiles means that users will experience the passage differently when travelling in one direction than in the other. In addition, the tiles are rotated at strategic points to spell out a poem on the walls, creating a sense of transition as users pass through. To maximize daylight and visually shorten the passage, it is kept as open as possible between the platform decks. Vertical tiles and edge lighting also make the passage appear higher, giving the impressing that the platform decks are floating. The result is a pleasant, safe and high-quality new connection for Schiedam.
data
- Location
- Schiedam, NL
- Size
- ca 3000 m²
- Client
- Gemeente Schiedam
- Discipline
- Architecture, Urban Design
- Program
- Public Buildings
- Period
- 2022-2028
- Status
- In Development
- Partners
- Antea Groep, Delva Landscape Architects, Ingenieursbureau Boorsma
Schiedam
The train and metro tracks currently make a connection impossible
The Boerhaave Passage links various housing developments, amenities, and workplaces
Dominant infrastructure hinders urban connectivity
The various districts of Schiedam are currently divided by major rail and road barriers, including the A20 motorway. Work locations in the industrial estates to the north of these barriers lack connections to the knowledge (development) and urban service sectors. Moreover, the industrial estates are only easily accessible by car, although (potential) employees live nearby. Furthermore, Schieveste is under development between the railway and the A20: a highly urbanized residential area with approximately 3,000 homes.
A new passageway is needed to connect the industrial estates and Schieveste to the rest of the town. The Boerhaave Passage will give the new residents of Schieveste easy access to amenities in Schiedam-Oost. Conversely, residents of the vulnerable Schiedam-Oost neighbourhood will benefit from the amenities, employment opportunities and quality improvements in Schieveste and the business parks. This connection also facilitates collaboration and knowledge exchange for businesses, as well as improving the accessibility of work and internship opportunities. De Zwarte Hond, in collaboration with the municipality of Schiedam, designed the Boerhaave Passage.
The Boerhaave Passage forms part of a new, slower traffic connection between Spaanse Polder and M4H. The passage connects Schieveste and the northern business parks with Schiedam-Oost, and thus also with the developments in Mathenesse and M4H.
A passage full of movement and meaning
The Boerhaave Passage connects different environments and functions. Many people use the passageway daily, often travelling in both directions: one way in the morning and other way back in the afternoon. Every time they walk through, they take something with them: an experience, a thought or something new they have learned. It is a place of movement, both spatial and emotional. This personal and spatial transition is reflected in the design.
Daylight makes the passage feel shorter and contributes to a sense of safety and comfort
The obstacle-free design allows for an unobstructed view along the passage’s length
Maximum daylight entry
Openings between the platforms maximize daylight in the passage. Between the tracks, the passage is cut open as much as possible. The natural light and the use of bright colours contribute to improved social safety and a sense of spaciousness.
Two-tone tiles and poetic walls
The use of two-tone tiles in the design means that users will experience the passage differently when walking in one direction than in the other. In addition, tiles are rotated at strategic points to spell out a poem on the walls. This creates a transitional effect as users pass through.
*The poem is a placeholder, as the spoken-word artwork is still being created in collaboration with a poet.
The tiling continues seamlessly through a curved corner from inside to outside.
The starry sky provides balanced illumination in the passage
Aesthetic edge lighting enhances the impression that the platform decks are floating
The platform decks are designed with stepped finishing
