Roeterseiland Campus – University of Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam invited Inside Outside to design the landscape for the new Roeterseiland Campus. The coming years the existing buildings of the campus will be renovated. The public space surrounding the buildings should become more appealing, open and accessible.
Inside Outside’s design aims to connects the landscape with the city but at the same time gives the terrain an unique identity.
The simple and chic qualities of the classical profile of the Amsterdam canals are combined with a specific Roeterseiland-signature: an additional, graphical layer that defines the campus but also connects, leads, lures and invites.
The winding ribbon might refer to the paths students take while studying - sometimes that path is a direct connection between A and B, but often it will be a detour or a loop.
The ribbon invites to be followed to special places on the water edge or to a hidden courtyard full with flowers with delicate scents and subtle sounds where grasses, groundcovers, and bulbs pop up from the beginning till the end of the academic year. It creates an intriguing pattern to look at from above and it defines places where one can meet other people or admire an amazing view.
The basic layer consists of a clear profile and the typical materials of the Amsterdam canal’s public space : brick and blue limestone with the omnipresent elm trees. The path is created by contrasting bricks laid in a continuous pattern.
Sometimes the ribbon-path curls around a special tree, describes a loop that defines a planted island and it rises up to create seating or tables for students to sit and meet or to quietly work outside. Those sitting elements are spread all over the campus and located on the most interesting places to invite the students to be outside, to study and meet in the open air.
