One third of the Netherlands is below sea level.
Controlling water for the Dutch is paramount, something they have done for hundreds of years and with intelligence.
Small and large hydraulic works have become icons of the country, from the mythical mills to pumping stations, locks, dikes and polders (land areas reclaimed from the sea).
The young city of Almere, the main city of the Flevoland province and neighboring Amsterdam (about 20 minutes by train across Lake IJmeer) sits on one of these dried-up lands.
Its origin dates back to the 1970s and, since then, its population has not stopped growing.
It currently stands at 200,000 people, a figure that, if doubled, would probably not affect the quality of life of its inhabitants.
Half of its 248.77 square kilometers are water that is between two and five meters above the streets of the town.
This amphibious condition attracts water sports, engineering and architecture enthusiasts to Almere.
All of its buildings are new, even modern, designed in some cases by Pritzker Prize-winning architects such as Rem Koolhaas.
Innovative and suggestive, it is a city of canals and green spaces that invites you to visit.
enlarge photo cova fernández
10.00 From the train to the bike
In the Netherlands the train stations project a historical and cultural profile of the cities, except in Almere.
Its bland
central station (1)
is the starting point for many visitors from Schiphol International Airport or the metropolises of Amsterdam and Rotterdam (this one an hour's drive away).
Tourists for whom many surprises await in a city turned into a gift for architects.
The visit can be done on foot or by electric bicycle - there is a rental point next to the
tourist office
, De Diagonaal, 199;
visitalmere.com
(2)
-, since it has a cycle path of more than 440 kilometers in length.
10.30 a
modern
fortress
The architect Rem Koolhaas was commissioned to design the urban center of Almere, a square of 800 × 800 meters in which work is still going on and in which
Lake Weer
has been created
.
At the core of this city without historical references is
De Citadel
(The Citadel)
(3)
, a modern construction by Christian de Portzamparc, who was inspired by medieval fortresses for its design.
Composed of four quadrants, on the ground level we find tents, topped by a concrete border that projects upwards and that refers to the geological layers of the earth that are below.
The upper floors are occupied by terraces, cafes, restaurants and houses around a large green blanket.
In Almere, social housing and architecture go hand in hand, as Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, among other architects, imagined and reflected in their projects.
12.00 Snack between books
Walking through Almere is to discover singularities and architectural extravagances.
In addition, one can go inside the buildings and see if aesthetics and functionality go hand in hand.
The
New Library
(Stadhuisplein, 101)
(4)
, very close to the
town hall (5)
, is a good example.
The complex is triangular in shape and its exterior features glazed horizontal stripes that coincide with each floor of the building.
Inside, the books are displayed on large curved shelves and from floor to ceiling there is a clear view, without interference.
In the library there is an unpretentious cafeteria;
If you prefer something more elaborate, you can try the drinks they prepare at
MockaMore
(De Diagonaal, 3).
A good place to eat, and close, is the area of
Belfort (6)
, with restaurants of cuisines from various countries of the world such as Suriname, Italy, France, Greece or Japan.
enlarge photo Depending on the time of day and the rays of the sun, the facades of the interior of the La Défense complex, inaugurated in 2004, change color, animating the patios.
Christian richters
15.30 Multicolored walls
One drawback of a one-day visit to Almere is that there is no time to stop in front of all its buildings, whether official or private.
Each of them has something to teach and tell, but there are several that are especially interesting.
La Défense
(W. Dreesweg)
(7)
, a UNStudio project, is a municipal office complex that, from the sky, resembles the gabled houses that children paint.
A singular iridescent labyrinth whose exterior facade is a reflection of its urban context while the interiors of the patios have been designed with the occupants of the offices it houses in mind;
They are lined with glass panels integrated with a multi-colored sheet that changes color depending on the time of day and the angle of incidence of the sun's rays.
enlarge photo Detail of The Wave building, in Almere.
alamy
The Wave (8)
and
Side by Side (9)
are two private residential buildings on the shores of Lake Weer, on the road known as Koetsierbaan.
The first has a façade that simulates open matchboxes, but it is its curved, wave-shaped structure that gives it its name.
Very close to this building is Side by Side, a complex of two residential towers aligned at right angles to each other.
Removed from the city center are the three red residential buildings of
Regenboogbuurt
(Pastelstraat, 1)
(10)
, the work of Rode Donders on the banks of a canal, which rise like sentinels at the gates of Almere.
They are the postcard of the city, a reminder of the grain silos that used to be in this polder.
19.30 Theater with haiku
After dining at the
De Kapitein Almere
restaurant
(Boelijn, 70)
(11)
or at the
Boathouse
(Noorderplassenweg, 150)
(12)
, both with fantastic water views of Noorderplassen, there are two good plans to end the day: go to the movies or to the theater.
Kinepolis
(Forum, 16)
(13)
is the largest movie theater in Almere, and the
KAF theater
(14)
, a space in which different artistic manifestations are represented designed by the Japanese Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, which is why that a haiku is engraved on the commemorative stone of this construction.
If we decide to spend the night, very close to the theater is the new
Apollo hotel
(Koetsierbaan, 2)
(15)
, where before going to sleep you can enjoy a craft beer in its
Bierfabriek
bar
.
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