twenty-five years after its original opening, the parking garage of the johan cruijff arena in amsterdam has undergone an extensive renovation by architecture office XML, in collaboration with creative director alfons hooikaas and wayfinding expert studiostaak. the completed design is part of an ongoing strategic rebranding of municipal parking spaces in amsterdam, and it treats the structure as a public interior to establish a new relationship between the whole arena building and the city. 

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with nearly 2,400 parking spaces, the johan cruijff arena features one of the largest garages in the netherlands. the premises accommodate visitors of ajax football matches, while also serving as a transfer hub for guests who change from car to public transport in order to travel to the historic center. thus, the design by XML, alfons hooikaas and studiostaak approaches the garage as the ‘lobby of the city center’. the new parking area aims to enhance safety and security, serving as a warm welcome to the city, and leaving a lasting impression. 

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all interventions are carried out within an integrated concept where architecture and signage coincide. the main color palette for the garage consists of shades of grey, forming a fresh, clear canvas in which signage stands out and visitors can orient themselves easily. the signaling system highlights its distinctions using three separate colors: black for cars, red for pedestrians, and grey signage for internal references within the garage.

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visitors can walk through the generic grey parking zones to find their way to the illuminated pedestrian walkways. these red and white checkered long lanes consist an iconic part of the parking space, facilitating pedestrians’ internal navigation and signaling the exit points. the walkways are lit with LED lights that follow the rhythm of the path. these lines of light also provide a sense of direction from a distance.

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in order to mark points of orientation such as entrances, exits, and payment terminals, the design covers areas of importance in red. in this way, these spots are made visible, even from a large distance. based on a concept that exploits a maximum contrast between existing garage and new interventions, the design gives the space a clear identity, aiming at greater recognizability and hospitality for amsterdam’s municipal parking garages.

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project info:

 

name: parking johan cruijff arena
architecture office: XML
creative director: alfons hooikaas
wayfinding expert: studiostaak

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom