Off the Platform, onto the Paths! Stations in the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam are becoming the starting points for a day out in nature.
Objective
“De Buitenpoort” is the name given to a public transport hub, typically a train station, that makes beautifullandscapes accessible from the city. Currently, these potential Buitenpoorten serve mainly as pick-up and drop-off points for commuters. DS and psCity developed a concept for the spatial design and marketing of De Buitenpoort. To test this new concept, it has been illustrated at three potential locations: Santpoort-Noord, Wormerveer, and Almere Oostvaarders. The Pilot Buitenpoorten project is part of the “Blind Spot – Landscape as a Location” project by the Deltametropool Association/West 8/RCE. The client for this pilot is the Province of North Holland.
Design
The narrative plays a central role in the design of the Buitenpoorten. These Buitenpoorten reflect the landscape that visitors are coming to experience. When visitors step off the train, they step directly into the landscape. The campaign to attract the public to the Buitenpoort is called “Buitensporen,” which puts various stations and valuable landscapes on the map. Buitensporen begins in the city, guiding city dwellers, recreational visitors, commuters, and tourists along the railway to the Buitenpoort, where the track then leads them through nature or the landscape.
Details
The aerial photo serves as the emblem of the campaign. As visitors approach the landscape, the aerial photo of that landscape is zoomed in on, bringing nature both literally and emotionally closer. The Buitenpoort is also featured on the train’s information screens. At the station, the landscape photo becomes an interactive display functioning as an information kiosk, where nature itself points the way. The Buitenspoor app guides visitors on their path from the station into the great outdoors.
This pilot is part of the nature inclusive development of transport hubs (LOD), which has been applied to Castricum Station (see the Zaancorridor Station Castricum project).
