KCAP masterplan for Renens Parc du Simplon under construction

In the last twelve years, Europaallee the station area of Zürich has undergone an urban transformation from an isolated site into a lively city district. KCAP is responsible for the urban design of the redevelopment that is completed.The article published in Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung provides news insights into the project in talks with Kees Christiaanse of KCAP and Andreas Steiger, project manager of SBB CFF FFS (Swiss Federal Railways). Both explain the complexity of urban planning in a city's central district, with dynamic necessities, historical changes and how much patience you need as an urban planner.You can login for free and read the full article (DE) here. Photograph by Lucas Peters

The city entrance of Amersfoort is being transformed into a green boulevard with remarkable building ensembles alongside. The development plan by KCAP already radically improved the post-war neighborhoods by connecting them safely with a grade separated crossing, with an outstanding swim and sports complex from VenhoevenCS architecture+urbanism. When fully realized, the plan delivers about 820 much-needed residences, of which a large part are affordable. With the recent delivery of 165 houses by de Alliantie and Moke Architecten, the eastern composition of 4 towers is now completed! Along the Valleikanaal an ecological park designed by MTD Landschapsarchitecten is realized which extends onto the green decks between the towers. The project is part of a comprehensive approach by de Alliantie and Gemeente Amersfoort to improve and renew these neighborhoods into vibrant and livable city districts for Amersfoort.  You can find a video on the construction process here.

Brabantbad, an ensemble of three residential towers designed by KCAP, brings new life to the site of the former Brabantbad in 's-Hertogenbosch. The slender volumes with their round shape and transparent plinths enrich the green surroundings of this part of Prins Hendrikpark. KCAP designs the ensemble in commission of Hertog Bouw (a collaboration of AM, Dura Vermeer, Heijmans, and Hendriks Bouw & Ontwikkeling).The site of the former swimming pool Brabantbad is located in the Prins Hendrikpark, just outside the centre of 's-Hertogenbosch, the capital of the Dutch province Noord-Brabant. The park embraces the IIzeren Vrouw, a former sand extraction lake, which adds exceptional quality to the park. The municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch has the ambition to make full use of the location of the former Brabantbad and improve the current zoning plan with the development of the tower ensemble. The ensemble of three towers on the site of the former Brabantbad seeks a visual connection with the "3 Amazones", three towers on the other side of the lake. But unlike these, KCAP's towers reveal subtle mutual differences. Not least in the diversity of the floorplans and housing types. Here, the pie-shaped layouts provide exceptional living experiences and unique panoramic views of the surroundings of the park, the IIzeren Vrouw, and the skyline of 's-Hertogenbosch. The three towers offer together approximately 180 appartments. The starting point of KCAP’s design is to enrich and enliven the park as much as possible. All this without affecting the park's green experience and at the same time adding social safety to this part of the park. "KCAP designed three slender round-shaped towers that take up minimal space and, due to their staggered positioning, generate maximum views and allow the greenery to spread unhindered between the buildings. Due to their round shape, the towers have no backside and offer an all-round lively ...

Commissioned by developer Synchroon, KCAP designs an urban ensemble in the area Cluster 6 in Amsterdam Zuidoost. At this central location in the Bijlmer, the project marks the transition between the Anton de Komplein and the Nelson Mandelapark. The ensemble of buildings forms a link between the urbanity of the Arenapoort shopping area, the suburban restructuring of the old Bijlmer with its single-family dwellings, and the expansive greenery of Nelson Mandelapark. Synchroon, a subsidiary of TBI Holdings, and the municipality of Amsterdam have signed an exclusivity agreement for the area. For Amsterdam's municipality, Cluster 6 is the first new-build project in which care and education staff are given priority. The project envisages a highly urban development and realisation of a residential programme of 440 residential units with various social and commercial facilities. In close cooperation with the developer and the municipality of Amsterdam, KCAP developed an urban plan that creates spatial coherence in this amorphous context. The existing sports centre will be included in a building block that connects to the adjacent block, encloses the Anton de Komplein, and provides a clear ending to the park. The design of the park periphery features greenery with a high quality of use and habitation and is designed with attention to climate-adaptive qualities. KCAP proposes a new neigbhourhood were attractive housing, active plinths and well-studied vegetation create a healthy and happy place for the residents. The architectural elaboration is done in collaboration with Atelier van Berlo.  Opdrachtgever Synchroon (een dochteronderneming van TBI Holdings) Programma 440 woningen, commerciële en maatschappelijke voorzieningen, parkeerplaatsen Stedenbouwkundige KCAP Architects&Planners Architect KCAP Architects&Planners, Atelier van Berlo Visual Playtime  

KCAP and CITYFÖRSTER design a new cultural district for Bratislava, Slovakia. Trnavské mýto will house a state-of-the-art concert and congress venue and the area will be transformed into a modern open neighbourhood including a series of green and public areas.  Immocap, the owner of Istropolis and the adjacent land, has presented its vision of New Istropolis, developed in cooperation with the international architectural office KCAP and partner studio CITYFÖRSTER. The project aims to bring Bratislava a world-class multifunctional cultural and social centre with top-level architecture, creating a long deserved cultural landmark for the Slovakian capital. "We have worked on the New Istropolis vision for 2.5 years, and we’re proud to present a project that will improve Bratislava residents’ quality of life in many ways. Our vision turns the dysfunctional zone in Trnavské mýto into a lively district full fo culture, greenery and public spaces,” said Martin Šramko, CEO of Immocap. Immocap committed itself to retaining the cultural and social function of Istropolis following its acquisition in 2017. The current vision was developed following an analysis and detailed consultations with promoters of cultural and social events, verification studies and audits, and visits to reference projects abroad. An international architectural competition involved seven studios – all urbanism and architecture studios with extensive experience in transforming under-performing urban zones into thriving new landmarks. Bratislava deserves a magnificent cultural landmark The new multifunctional hall enables Istropolis to meet Bratislava’s real needs and leverage the potential of Trnavské mýto, and will foster cultural and congress tourism. New Istropolis offers the capacity to host various events simultaneously, such as acoustic, rock, jazz, pop concerts, numerous events and cultural events, and conferences and congresses of all sizes. The hall will be able to hold three different events simultaneously and have a maximum capacity of 3000 seats and 5000 combined seats for sitting ...

KCAP and Orange Architects are working in a consortium with A.Len Architectural Bureau in St. Petersburg, Russia, to transform a former railway yard on Ligovsky Prospekt into a new residential district with communal facilities, retail and extensive greenery. Linear parks and landscaped boulevards that follow the historical railway tracks are at the origin of the new urban framework and will offer the backdrop for a high quality living environment, where the buildings are characterized by industrial aesthetics. KCAP+ORANGE Architects in consortium with A.Len Architectural Bureau prepared a proposal for the territory planning of the former Tovarno-Vitebskaya railway yard in the south-eastern part of the grey belt of St. Petersburg. This project is a continuation of the Glorax Development's Ligovsky City neighborhood development project, where the first residential complex is already in operation while the second one is nearing completion. The area under consideration, 30 hectares, is well connected to city. In the North, in close proximity to the site, is planned to build a metro station "Borovaya". The global goal of the project is to create a new attractive residential district of St. Petersburg, designed for 8600 people, with its own commercial and social infrastructure. The plans include restaurants, cafes, leisure facilities, street retail, service companies, sports facilities, four kindergartens, one primary and one secondary school, underground and surface parking lots. The Chairman of the City Planning Council, V. Grigoriev, defined the project as a positive example of resuming international design in the city: “The participation of renowned architects from all over the world has always contributed to the development of St. Petersburg.” The carefully planned intervention is an adaptive re-use that promotes new urban life, based on a mix of historical and modern structures and on the contrast between large and small scale solutions. The industrial morphology of the area, with the rails ...

Last week, the demonstration zone of East Dike Shenzhen was officially opened by Mr. Huang Min, vice mayor of Shenzhen, accompanied by Mr. Zhang Liwei, head of the Water Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality. As from May 1st , the demonstration zone is open to the public, welcoming visitors and serving local residents. East Dike is located in Dapeng, a mountainous peninsula in the direct proximity of Hongkong and Shenzhen. In 2018, the typhoon Mangkhut damaged the coastline to various degrees. In 2019, team KCAP+FELIXX has been selected to develop the plans, restore the coastline and raise protection standards. With the ‘Triple Dike strategy’, the team developed an integrated approach towards the climate adaptive reorganization of the 130 kilometer long shore. In the concept, water safety strategies are connected to eco-development and nature restoration and merged with social and economic growth. On a 500m long strip in Yangmeikeng, the performance of the proposed nature-based strategies for the sea wall are tested and materialization principles are explored and refined. The realization of this demonstration zone is the first milestone in the construction of 18 kilometers of embankment to be completed by 2021. Strategic projectsFor 6 villages along the shore, all originating from fishers’ communities, the strategy is turned into strategic design projects, creating unique and site-specific realms. The ‘Triple Dike’ is composed of three development zones, carefully embedded in the local conditions and responding to the specific future needs of every village. The small-scale identity will be protected and their different characteristics reinforced. Village Dongshan is situated in a quiet bay, allowing the embankment to be designed as a green park, merging the mountains and the sea. Guanhu is a creative and cultural district. The dike performs as a vivid green beach boulevard, a backbone that unites existing functions with new recreational facilities. Moonbay is ...

The first 500m demonstration zone Yangmeikeng of East Dike Shenzhen is almost realized. It forms the base for the six strategic realization projects along the 18 km of coastal reinforcement that KCAP + Felixx  developed to restore the coastline of Shenzhen and raise protection standards against extreme weather. With the design competition just won in the summer of 2019, this partial completion is a great achievement by everyone involved! After the visit of our client Water Resources Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality last weekend, final works are now being completed to be ready for the official opening to public on May 1st.

The construction of our East Dike project in Shenzhen is progressing rapidly. In order to ensure protection against storm surges in the near future, hard work has been done on site on the realisation of the primary flood defence wall. Only half a year after winning the design competition by KCAP + Felixx and in less than three months of construction work, the raw construction of the sea wall of the demonstration zone has already been completed. The project translates the necessity of coastal protection into development potential. Thus the multifunctional structure safeguards and reinforces the ecological value and identity of identified subareas of the Dapeng peninsula.

The construction of Inntel Hotel Marina Beach The Hague has reached its highest point. This was officially celebrated on the construction site on November, 22nd. The 4-star hotel will become a new icon on Noordelijk Havenhoofd in Scheveningen. It rises on an important spot at the end of the beach boulevard where the boats from the sea enter Scheveningen harbour. On this all-sided location, the building symbolizes the movement of sails in the wind with its façade. From each perspective, it will show itself with a different shape and impression. Now the building height has been reached, works on the façade will follow. The hotel is estimated to be completed in 2021.

Our residential project OASSIS in Crissier is nearing completion fast. The facade of one building has been finished and the first apartments were delivered. The project is set in the heterogeneous and quickly developing outskirts of Lausanne with great views on Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc. Final delivery of the project is scheduled for spring 2020. Time to celebrate!

On June 27, Kees Christiaanse will speak about his "Textbook", published with nai010 Publishers last year. The Textbook covers 30 years of his thinking about cities. It is a collection of 21 texts that has been carefully selected and redacted in collaboration with Jessica Bridger. The subjects of the collected texts range from charting the personal influence of the bicycle on his thinking about future mobility to the examination of dominant concepts and projects in the contemporary built environment. Christiaanse’s sketches, personal notebook pages, and watercolours complement this unique collection. Thursday 27 June, 20:00 Library of Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam Admission is free, but seats are limited. Please register here. As a warm up for the presentation of Kees Christiaanse's Textbook on June 27, partners at KCAP give sneak previews of the book that holds thirty years of personal notes on urban design and architecture by Kees. First comes Anouk Kuitenbrouwer. Sneak Preview Anouk Kuitenbrouwer Ute Schneider and Kees Christiaanse have worked together closely for many years. Prior to the presentation of Kees' Textbook on June 27, she reflects on the collection of experiences at KCAP and his involvement in developments on the field of urban planning and architecture in the past thirty years. Sneak Preview Ute Schneider In this short video Edward Schuurmans, partner at KCAP, shares his findings on Kees Christiaanse’s Textbook (personal notes on 30 years of urban design and architecture). He focuses on an inspirational footnote, in which Kees states that design should be equally well appreciated by a construction worker as well as by an architect. Or, as Edward puts it, David Bowie’s music liked by ordinary rock fans as well as by sophisticated music experts.Sneak Preview Edward Schuurmans Ruurd Gietema and Kees Christiaanse are long time companions as international operating urbanists and share comprehensive visions on urbanism and broad themes that affect ...

  The new neighbourhood “Aeschbachquartier” in Aarau, a town with 22.000 inhabitants between Zurich and Bern, has been completed. KCAP Architects&Planners designed the masterplan of the neighbourhood and realized several buildings, Studio Vulkan planned and built the outdoor spaces. The Aeschbachquartier is a mixed quarter for living and working in a central location. Through its change of scale within the project, it mediates between the urban density at the railway station and the delicate, green residential neighbourhoods. The diversity of typologies, architectural designs and uses generates a dynamic location for a wide variety of user groups, residents and visitors to the city of Aarau. A prominent tower marks the entrance of the neighbourhood and of the Aeschbach promenade that leads between urban commercial and residential buildings to the central Oehlerpark. Along Aeschbachpromenade, the historic Aeschbachhalle is located, which was restored as an iconic neighbourhood centre and event location, and flanked with studios and urban lofts. Oehlerpark functions as a hinge to the purely residential areas of the project, which serve as a transition to the existing quarters with urban villas and terraced houses. The project was realised by real estate developer Mobimo. While all exterior spaces were designed by Studio Vulkan landscape architects, the architectural tasks were assigned to three different offices in order to guarantee the diversity of the neighbourhood. Schneider & Schneider Architekten designed and realised the symbolic GastroSocial Tower with the adjacent commercial building and four urban villas at the park. Gmür & Geschwentner are responsible for two residential and commercial buildings in the urban core, which they built together with Caretta & Gitz. The majority of the buildings are designed by KCAP, including the terraced houses and the urban villa in the south, the large urban villas by the park built with b+p baurealisation, and the renovation and extension ...

The Aeschbachquartier in Aarau, planned by KCAP Architects&Planners and Studio Vulkan Landschaftsarchitekten, was officially opened on April 4 by real estate developer Mobimo. Events for the public will take place on Saturday, 6 April. KCAP designed the master plan of the neighbourhood and realized most of the buildings, Studio Vulkan planned and executed the outdoor spaces. The Aeschbachquartier is a mixed residential and working neighbourhood in a central location. It bridges the gap between the urban density at the railway station and the delicate, green residential quarters. The diversity of typologies, architectural designs and uses generates a dynamic location for a wide variety of user groups, residents and visitors to the city of Aarau. A prominent tower marks the entrance to the quarter. The spacious Aeschbach promenade leads between urban commercial and residential buildings to the central Oehler Park. This functions as a hinge to the pure residential area and to the surrounding context. The park is bordered by a series of town villas, each of which houses several households, and in the background by terraced houses. The historic Aeschbachhalle is also located on the Aeschbachpromenade, restored as a quarter centre and event location and supplemented with studios and urban lofts. While the entire exterior spaces were designed by Studio Vulkan landscape architects, the architectural tasks were assigned to three different offices in order to guarantee the architectural diversity of the quarter. Schneider & Schneider Architects designed and realised the symbolic GastroSocial Tower with the adjacent commercial building and four city villas by the park. Gmür & Geschwentner are responsible for two residential and commercial buildings in the urban core. The majority of the buildings stem from by KCAP, including the terraced houses and the city villa in the background, the large city villas by the park and the renovation and extension ...

The building permit for The Student Hotel Delft is approved and the site preparations are starting. The construction of the hotel on this central location on the foresquare of Delft central ctation is an important step of the of the Nieuw Delft area development. The programming and open character of the building will make a great contribution to the liveliness of the area around the station. The Student Hotel is a hybrid hotel concept that combines high-quality hotel functions with high-quality short- and long-stay facilities, such as a gym, bar-restaurant, library, gaming and lounge areas, classrooms, meeting rooms and co-working areas. These functions are combined in a building ensemble consisting of a varied plinth volume with two towers on top. All public hotel functions are located on the ground floor, the hotel rooms on the upper floors.  

10 years after winning the competition (MEP) for 'Parc du Simplon' in Renens, the first buildings are standing and the construction of the appartements and offices is progressing quickly. The first inhabitants will soon be moving in. The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) are transforming many station areas in Switzerland, one of which is in Renens-Entrepôts. The KCAP masterplan creates a mixed neighbourhood including apartments and office spaces, a high school, hospitality, and retail. While the school building is in service since September 2017, the former ‘silo bleu’ transformed into a student housing tower will welcome its first inhabitants in February. Now, also the construction of the residential and office buildings has started. Our masterplan creates two noise barriers; a row of office buildings towards the rail tracks, and long-drawn residential buildings with public ground floors towards the street. In between them, a series of urban villas is set in public and semi-public spaces. https://parc-du-simplon.ch/ http://silobleu.ch/de/  

With the present legal validation, the planning phase is completed and Swiss Prime Site will soon launch the first stage of construction. Starting in 2015, KCAP designed the masterplan for the former industrial site, transforming it into a mixed residential area, in collaboration with Müller Illien landscape architects, IBV Hüsler traffic planners, and Keoto sustainability and energy consultants. Our masterplan transforms a closed industrial zone into an attractive neighbourhood, carefully integrating it into its heterogeneous surroundings. The key qualities of the site – the river and the large industrial structures – are brought together in our urban vision and transformed into a high-quality living and working environment. The plan builds on the basic structure and the distinctive buildings of the industrial area and is developing into a small-scale and varied environment with a spacious public park landscape at the Aare river. Project website  

Within the Urban Space Concept by KCAP and Studio Vulkan for the “University District Zurich Centre” (Hochschulgebiet Zürich Zentrum, HGZZ), every single building is developed in a separate architectural competition. Yesterday, the first results of the competitions were presented. The new building for the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) will be designed by Christ & Gantenbein and the new Forum of the University of Zurich (UZH) by Herzog & de Meuron. The Urban Space Concept is a joint project by the University Hospital Zurich (USZ), University of Zurich (UZH) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) – three major research institutes in Switzerland – and is supported by the Canton and the City of Zurich. The concept developed by KCAP Architects&Planners, Studio Vulkan, Salewski & Kretz, IBV Hüsler and Fahrländer Partner moderates the planned densification to fit into the surroundings, and creates stronger cohesion through new public spaces. This urban concept was formulated in a white paper (Weissbuch) as a guideline for both competitions and in an architectural feasibility study of the “Forum UZH”. We’re proud to be at the forefront of future research and learning. Project website HGZZ In the news, Neue Zürcher Zeitung White paper HGZZ

In Crissier near Lausanne, KCAP is building two residential buildings as part of an ensemble of 6 residential and one office building. The apartments will offer beautiful views into the landscape and onto the Alps. The buildings are constructed by Losinger-Marazzi for the Patrimonium investment fund.

Construction of block 6 of the Golden City in St. Petersburg is rising. Block 6 is one of the first two buildings within the masterplan ‘Golden City’ in St. Petersburg next to the International Sea Terminal designed by KCAP + Orange at Vasilievsky Island that is under construction. Block 7 has just had a sales kick-off of the apartments and design works on block 8 have started.