Changing public space

structure of the city. Therefore, a new function needed to be found for the site of the police
station and the Loeffplein.
The initiative to redevelop the Loeffplein came from the side of the local government. However,
the association of local entrepreneurs, called Heart of ’s-Hertogenbosch (Hartje ’s-Hertogenbosch),
claim to be the first to call for an upgrading of the city centre. Together with the merchant
association and the Fortis Bank, which is active as investor of a large share of the retail property
in the city, they set up a so-called Centre Management in 1993. This organisation aimed to
improve the economic functioning and attractiveness of the city centre. The redevelopment of
the Loeffplein would contribute to this aim. The association of local entrepreneurs hired a local
architect to make a design for the Loeffplein and surrounding area. It was never implemented,
because the local government did not think it would fit within the historical structure of the
city. However, the initiative improved the relation between the municipality and the Centre
Management as partners in the redevelopment of the city centre.
The idea of the local government and the Centre Management was to build a new retail
complex on the former site of the police station. The Loeffplein itself and the Marktstraat would
also have to be upgraded to induce people to walk from the Markt to the new retail complex.
Hartje ’s-Hertogenbosch was afraid the retail expansion at the Loeffplein would negatively affect
other shopkeepers in the city and argued for the simultaneous renovation of the other shopping
streets. The association also demanded that all new shopkeepers at the Loeffplein should become
a member of its association to avoid the so-called free riders problem. In return, it would settle
the objections to the plan.
Another partner in the redevelopment process was insurance company Nationale
Nederlanden, which already owned the Tolbrug parking garage on the east side of the Loeffplein
and a small number of shops located in front of it. Nationale Nederlanden was also interested
in becoming the investor of the new retail complex. It proposed Multi as possible developer.
T+T became responsible for the new design of the Loeffplein and surroundings. The new retail
complex was named Arena and was designed as an outdoor shopping centre with apartments
on the upper floors. The retail concentration needed to be of substantial size to attract many
visitors. T+T’s design offered 6,500m 2 of retail space (Bastion Oranje, 2006). A new parking
garage was planned underneath the Arena to complement the existing Tolburgparking garage.
The latter would also be upgraded and camouflaged by a new façade of shops called the Stoa. The
Loeffplein would be redesigned with similar materials being used at the Arena to bring about a
sense of unity. For its design reference was made to an enclosed shopping centre in Eindhoven,
the Heuvel Galerie, which was opened in 1995. It served as both best and worse case: the Arena
should have a similar allure and quality of materials, but not have a closed façade (ironically, the
Arena later served as worse case example for the construction of the new retail building on the
Statenplein in Dordrecht because of its closed-off image on the outside).
When T+T’s plan was finished, representatives of the local government, Centre Management,
Nationale Nederlanden, and Multi went to Barcelona to find an architect to design the Arena.
Beth Galí, who was already involved in upgrading parts of the city centre, recommended the
Spanish architect Oscar Tusquets. He was selected to design the Arena. His plan was to create
an outdoor shopping centre (partly covered but without a real ceiling) with a sunken plaza and
a gallery on the ground floor, both containing shops. The Arena would have multiple entrances
to connect it to the other parts of the city centre. Galí herself was appointed to design both the
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