Bicycle storage

In conjunction with the construction of the north-south metro line, the new bus station and the underground pedestrian passage, the municipality of Amsterdam had to free the entrance plaza of Central Station from the mass of bicycles. A temporary bicycle storage in the water between the Lovers quay and the Ibis Hotel is the designed solution. The site allows a maximum length of 100 meters, a maximum width of 17,5 meters and a capacity of 2500 bicycles. The construction had to be self standing and a minimum of 2 meters from the quay. Because of the numerous touring boats needing to turn in this area, the building has been executed with an overhang.
The design is based on a very functional storage. Conceived of as public space and using the existing height difference along the station square of 1,25 meters a system of slopes has been created on which the bicycles can be stored. Next to its function as storage the building has revealed different uses. Skaters for instance love to use it as a podium for their stunts and tourist never leave without having taken their pictures in front of it.