Future of the Gardiner Expressway - Nanos Research

impact on the town fabric. A8 is a physicalbarrier between the north and south sidesof town and the River Zaan. Aesthetically, itdetracts from the surrounding architecture andnatural landscape. Lastly, it diminishes useof public spaces next to the church and townhall.Program is key to achieving the projectobjective. A variety of uses were introducedinto the site, appealing to a range of townresident needs and interests. For this reason,A8ernA attracts residents of all ages.The retail program includes an Albert Heijnsupermarket, a pet shop, and flower shop aswell as 120 parking spaces. Albert Heijn, inparticular, was attracted to the site becauseit offered a highway accessibility and a rareopportunity for a large floor plate in town.A skateboarding park, basketball courts, andping pong tables provide youth with recreationamenities. A graffiti gallery serves as a publicart component. A small marina with publicseating was constructed where A8 lifts overthe Zaan, opening up river views.Material selection and surface treatmentmakes A8’s understory inviting and attractive.Structural columns were clad in a variety ofmaterials, including herringbone-patternedtimber and reflective steel, into which backlitlettering is dye-cut. Similarly, groundtreatments – from timber decking to orangesurface paint – differentiate program spaces.ProcessThe A8ernA project was coordinated with alarger, city-wide planning effort to identifyredevelopment sites for 10 new squaresin Zaanstadt. Alternatives for at-grade ortunnel replacement of A8 were not seriouslyconsidered due to high costs.The Mayor and City Council, church officials,merchants, and residents participated in theplanning process. Stakeholder objectivesand desires guided the design process. NLArchitects incorporated nearly all communityprogram requests into the final design.The businesses under A8 have been incrediblysuccessful. Albert Heijn has expressed interestin expanding and bringing in additional in-lineretail.Cladding and lighting on the highway columnsmakes the space more inviting; the skate-parkgenerates amble activity.lessons of a8ern8• A8ernA shows it is possible to live with an elevated structure.This project adapts a visually repetitive space (concrete overhead,evenly space piers) with programmatic and visual diversity. Theprovision of a density of small programs and spaces with differentcharacters makes an unappealing environment attractive.• A8ernA is a small scale project guided by a highly participatoryplanning process. The process illustrates that a full rangeof stakeholder desires can be incorporated into projectimplementation without diminishing design quality or resorting tothe “lowest common denominator”.• The project was driven, in part, by private market interest inutilizing a unique retail site.A8ern8 Highway Section – After (Existing)SECTION V: Case studies 41