Willem Alexander Park

2010 - 2012

The Willem Alexander Park is located in Leidsche Rijn, at the foot of the Leidsche Rijn Center. For the most part the park lies on the roof of the A2 tunnel, 9 m above NAP.

At this moment a participation process is going on in full swing. We are working together with stakeholders to come up with a design. The prospect is to start in the autumn of 2013 with the construction of the park. In consultation with the participants the following theme (fields) are created:

Theme fields
the park is intersected by the roads between the City road and Leeuwenstein-North. Each segment between the roads has its own thematic program, appropriate to the size and location in the urban context. The themes are:

– connect & meet
– art & culture
– sports & games
– nature & education
– food & drinks

Connect & Meet
This is the most urban part of the park and the link between the square in the future centre of Leidse Rijn and the park. In the tiered grass field under the trees people can meet for a lunch, a hike or a summer pick-nick. An urban nature walk is possible in the wide zone with fragrant and colored shrubs and perennials. Integrated facilities in the field make it possible to convert the terrace to a small-scaled stage for cinema or an outside Sunday morning concert. Tough chair made of Utrecht’s wood offer a place for reading a book.

Art & Culture
this field is characterized by the space; a blank field waiting for meaning. On one side of the field along the central path that runs through the park, a simple designed stage is located. On the field there is space for summer events, concerts and performances. Out of season, untill the beginning of summer the field is a herbal-rich grassland. The zone with spicy plants is narrower but still sufficiently wide for a nice walk. Along the paths but also in the field changing art manifestations are being exposed. From time to time the art radiates out to the rest of the A2-park.

Sports & Games
This zone has three smaller fields surrounded by a higher edge of flowered grass. The location of the deepened fields increase the intimacy and provides extra security for the often youthful users. in the grass strips seats are integrated and can alsobe used for reposing sports and game stuff. The fields are mainly used by the nearby school but outside school hours they offer place for anyone. There is no specific use, the programm is multifunctional. One of the fields is solidified so it can be be used for basketball and for iceskating in the winter.

Nature & Education
This zone has its spot in the fourth field where establishment and management are focused on a natural development of the green. The maintenance of the field consists of only mowing it one or two times a year. In the grass field insects hotels and Butterfly cabinets are located. Changing exhibitions can be added to explain its process. Children can do a bare-footed experience route trough the grass to get in contact with nature in a variety of ways.

Food & Drinks
Eating, drinking and everything around is possible on the south side of the park, the part with the most neighborhood-like character. People from the neighborhood meet in the neighborhood vegetable garden while grooming and picking the fruit from the trees and shrubs. Led by an enthusiastic group of experienced vegetable gardeners people can grow their own fruit and vegetables and perhaps to sell them too. From a small pavilion coffee and tea is served with pie from home made neighbourhood fruit.

Willem Alexander Park

2010 - 2012

The Willem Alexander Park is located in Leidsche Rijn, at the foot of the Leidsche Rijn Center. For the most part the park lies on the roof of the A2 tunnel, 9 m above NAP.

At this moment a participation process is going on in full swing. We are working together with stakeholders to come up with a design. The prospect is to start in the autumn of 2013 with the construction of the park. In consultation with the participants the following theme (fields) are created:

Theme fields
the park is intersected by the roads between the City road and Leeuwenstein-North. Each segment between the roads has its own thematic program, appropriate to the size and location in the urban context. The themes are:

– connect & meet
– art & culture
– sports & games
– nature & education
– food & drinks

Connect & Meet
This is the most urban part of the park and the link between the square in the future centre of Leidse Rijn and the park. In the tiered grass field under the trees people can meet for a lunch, a hike or a summer pick-nick. An urban nature walk is possible in the wide zone with fragrant and colored shrubs and perennials. Integrated facilities in the field make it possible to convert the terrace to a small-scaled stage for cinema or an outside Sunday morning concert. Tough chair made of Utrecht’s wood offer a place for reading a book.

Art & Culture
this field is characterized by the space; a blank field waiting for meaning. On one side of the field along the central path that runs through the park, a simple designed stage is located. On the field there is space for summer events, concerts and performances. Out of season, untill the beginning of summer the field is a herbal-rich grassland. The zone with spicy plants is narrower but still sufficiently wide for a nice walk. Along the paths but also in the field changing art manifestations are being exposed. From time to time the art radiates out to the rest of the A2-park.

Sports & Games
This zone has three smaller fields surrounded by a higher edge of flowered grass. The location of the deepened fields increase the intimacy and provides extra security for the often youthful users. in the grass strips seats are integrated and can alsobe used for reposing sports and game stuff. The fields are mainly used by the nearby school but outside school hours they offer place for anyone. There is no specific use, the programm is multifunctional. One of the fields is solidified so it can be be used for basketball and for iceskating in the winter.

Nature & Education
This zone has its spot in the fourth field where establishment and management are focused on a natural development of the green. The maintenance of the field consists of only mowing it one or two times a year. In the grass field insects hotels and Butterfly cabinets are located. Changing exhibitions can be added to explain its process. Children can do a bare-footed experience route trough the grass to get in contact with nature in a variety of ways.

Food & Drinks
Eating, drinking and everything around is possible on the south side of the park, the part with the most neighborhood-like character. People from the neighborhood meet in the neighborhood vegetable garden while grooming and picking the fruit from the trees and shrubs. Led by an enthusiastic group of experienced vegetable gardeners people can grow their own fruit and vegetables and perhaps to sell them too. From a small pavilion coffee and tea is served with pie from home made neighbourhood fruit.

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