Urban Interactive District: how to build a neighbourhood in a national entertainment hub?

MVRDV's design for the new Urban Interactive District situated next to the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam provides Arenapoort with a dynamic new urban area where living, working, shopping, and leisure are combined. Urban Interactive District consists of a series of intimate public spaces and a lively vibrant heart, where visitors and residents alike are engaged irrespective of the time of day.

Jeroen Zuidgeest has been in charge of the design development and project management at MVRDV.

The introduction of a square will connect the proposal to existing public areas and embed the project within its surroundings. A focus on accessibility, connectivity and a sensitivity to scale ensure that the proposal reads as part of the existing neighbourhood.

The area opposite The Johan Cruijff ArenA, a mere 15 minutes by train from the historic centre of Amsterdam, will transform into a dynamic new urban area where living, working, shopping, and leisure are combined in a dense urban area, with an intelligent mix of various functions. Urban Interactive District will reinvigorate Arenapoort whilst embracing its unique character. It is composed by four buildings, with pedestals that offer room to a theatre, restaurants, commercial space, and volumes on top with room for a hotel, approximately 540 rental houses and 410 student housing units, an estimate of 30.000 m2 for offices, and underground parking facilities.