Location
Almelo
Description
Reconstruction of South Entrance to Almelo
Client
Municipality of Almelo
Completion
2010, partly built
STRENGHTEN IDENTITY
Almelo is part of the triangle Enschede-Hengelo-Almelo, the primary urban agglomeration in eastern Netherlands. Almelo aims to be and remain a vital and livable city, with room for sustainable development. The qualitative improvement of the traffic access route from A35 to the heart of Almelo center, the South Entrance, presents an opportunity to strengthen the infrastructure and identity of the area. The diverse history and the structures of greenery and water can be made more palpable through this enhancement.
The 5 km long entrance route passes through various zones of the city and several highly distinctive junctions with important structural elements such as city rings, green zones, water elements, and potentially developable vacant areas. On the way to the center, one also passes the stadium of the football club Heracles.
The ‘South Entrance’ plan focuses on designing a recognizable continuous road profile, gradually transitioning from a highway to a street. The primary goal is to establish recognizability along the route itself. Recognizability is achieved through a strong unity in road shoulders, trees, lighting, and street furniture. The green central median serves as the backbone of the South Entrance, connecting the different zones into a cohesive whole. The major junctions mark the transition to the next urban zone. Urban scenarios have been developed for potential development locations to further strengthen unity in the future.
In collaboration with the municipal urban planning service, the adjacent potential development locations have been explored in terms of program and typology.
