Success obliges, the service in charge of planning the development of cycling in Amsterdam is under water. And that’s probably how the idea of creating bicycle shelters under the waves was born. The first garage of its kind was inaugurated on Wednesday, near the central station, in order to unclog the traditionally overloaded surface shelters.
“In the Netherlands, we have a lot of knowledge and expertise when it comes to water,” even allowing construction under water, said Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure Vivianne Heijnen.
Ease the sidewalks
“It makes optimal use of the space you have in a small country,” she said at the inauguration of the first shelter on Wednesday. With nearly 11,000 spaces, the two shelters will together represent the “largest bicycle shelter in the city”, according to the municipality, which will also make it possible to remove often overloaded bicycle racks from sidewalks.
“We want to keep the station accessible and the public space accessible and attractive,” the municipality said in a statement. Amsterdammers will have access from Thursday to the first underwater shelter near the main entrance to the station, offering 6,300 spaces and 700 self-service bicycles. Conveyor belts will take users nine meters below ground level, explains the Wurck architect’s officein charge of the project.
under a river
Wurck describes the interior of the shelter as “a smooth, light world, with a cast plaster floor and a seamless white ceiling”, a contrast reminiscent, according to the office, of an oyster. The second shelter, under the IJ River and whose design reflects its curves, will be accessible from February 14 and will have 4,000 pitches.
“Now you know that when you come to the central station, you can immediately park your bike,” said Melanie van der Horst, deputy mayor in charge of transport. Thirty percent of Dutch Railways travelers come to the station by bicycle, says Wouter Koolmees, director of the public organisation. Metro, bike, underwater…