Wiel Arets is a Dutch architect, theorist, urbanist and industrial designer from Limburg. According to the website Wiel Arets Architects investigates and produces space in response to life, the potential of function, the character of place and the nature of material. They aim for a portrait of surprise, elegance, comfort and quality. They work in bespoke architecture and urbanism. Above are some images of IJhal, Amsterdam Centraal Station. The IJhal will be Amsterdam Centraal Station’s pedestrian centric area for gastronomic, retail and leisure facilities, for passengers and city residents alike. Amsterdam’s Centraal Station is currently undergoing a drastic transformation, and will become the centrepiece of the city’s plan to reconnect neighbourhood clusters through the restructuring of public transportation systems. The IJhal, to be located in the rear of Amsterdam’s Centraal Station, on the waterfront of the river IJ, will be the main pedestrian centric portion of the renewed station, adding gastronomic, leisure and service areas to the station’s program.
Currently two pedestrian halls are open inside Centraal Station, which will be replaced by five halls that run through the station, helping to easily direct users from the front entrance to their train, metro, or bus – and strengthen the connection made by the North-South Metro. This perpendicular routing to the river IJ will enable a direct visual connection to the waterfront from most areas inside the station. Within the IJhal various gastronomic outlets will be available for food on the go, while restaurants and cafes will also be incorporated to encourage prolonged station visits. All gastronomic facilities will be located on the waterfront edge of the IJhal, to encourage the utilization of the station beyond a transportation hub, and into a destination itself.
A system of round-mirrored elements composed of a stainless steel type surface will be mounted on the ceiling, mimicking the reflective properties of the IJ’s waters within the IJhal. These elements will serve to visually double the height of the space. Below the new bus terminal at the rear of the station, above the IJhal, voids will be located alongside stairs and escalators – containing hanging gardens – that will visually connect the bus terminal above with the IJhal below.
The floor of the IJhal will function as an abstracted way finding system composed of a terrazzo like finish of polished circles, which will condense and expand in accordance with pedestrian traffic patterns and when perpendicular paths occur. This subtle shift of floor pattern will help to keep pedestrians in constant motion during intersections, serving to keep the station’s halls free of unnecessary congestion.
The waterfront behind Centraal Sation is not currently developed for public functions. As the surrounding neighbourhoods on the IJ’s waterfront continue to develop, more public venues.
