flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

SWA/Balsley unveils Nelson Mandela Park Master Plan for Rotterdam

Urban Planning

SWA/Balsley unveils Nelson Mandela Park Master Plan for Rotterdam

The conceptual plan provides much-needed central neighborhood and civic open space in the city’s South Maashaven district.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | May 3, 2021
Nelson Mandela Park green space in Rotterdam

Courtesy SWA/Balsley

SWA/Balsley has recently unveiled the Nelson Mandela Park Master Plan concept for Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The project will be located in a post-industrial area along the harbor that is home to a growing and increasingly diverse immigrant population. Inspired by the natural hydrology and tidal vegetation systems of the nearby river, Nelson Mandela Park Master Plan celebrates the maritime heritage of Rotterdam while harnessing the coast for the benefit of future generations.

 

Nelson Mandela Park Master Plan

 

The design includes a vision for a “Culture Campus” that will give the park a unique identity within Rotterdam’s park system and waterfront. The park is surrounded by dense urban districts lacking green spaces. SWA/Balsley worked with the City and Arup to create a plan that will serve these adjacent neighborhoods by providing a seven-hectare destination comprising a naturalized shoreline, marsh habitats, multi-purpose lawns, tree groves, and sculpted knolls and overlooks.

Additionally, the design team advocated to create a space large enough to accommodate more community programming. As such, the design features multiple flexible lawn areas for community events, all-age play grounds in a shaded tree grove, a cultural plaza, overlooks, and a marsh walk. The water’s edge was conceived as a dynamic experience and includes innovative tidal pools, wetland habitats, and a local water taxi station and pavilion.

Related Stories

Urban Planning | Dec 21, 2015

Addressing urban density with design

How does success in managing density begin? By being design friendly to everyone, writes Jessica K. Lucyshyn of GS&P.

Urban Planning | Dec 7, 2015

Handbook for design, construction, maintenance of permeable pavements released

Supports sustainable solution to stormwater and urban runoff.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




Urban Planning

The magic of L.A.’s Melrose Mile

Great streets are generally not initially curated or willed into being. Rather, they emerge organically from unintentional synergies of commercial, business, cultural and economic drivers. L.A.’s Melrose Avenue is a prime example. 

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021