Architecture News Plus (ANP) – Architecture and Design Magazine

Leidsche Rijn

This is a project by Maxwan Architects+Urbanists and it is located at Utrecht, Netherlands. Project's program: 30,000 houses, 700,000 m2 offices, 280 ha industrial area, services and infrastructure. There are fourteen images for Leidsche Rijn.

: © Aerophoto-Schiphol

Project details

Project name: Leidsche Rijn
Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
Program: 30,000 houses, 700,000 m2 offices, 280 ha industrial area, services and infrastructure
Area: Site area: 2,500 ha
Year: Project year: 1994
Client: Cities of Utrecht • Vleuten de Meern
Project by: Maxwan Architects+Urbanists
Team: Partner in charge: Rients Dijkstra • Team: Kirsten van den Berg, Arjan Klok, Christian Müller,Vincent Lo-A-Njoe, Ivan Ivanovski, Herman Verkerk,Catherine Visser, Arno de Vries, Harmen van der Wal, Laura Weeber
Others: Architectural historians: Crimson • Landscape design: Juurlink & Geluk

Project images

Designer's statement

In their VINEX-report, the Dutch government has described sites and conditions for the building of an additional 800'000 houses in Holland before 2015. The central government and the City of Utrecht have a policy of compact cities. VINEX extensions have to be firmly linked to attached to the existing urban tissue.

Noise pollution legislation forbids the erection of dwellings within 600 meters of major highways. These voids are 'filled' with industry and/or sports fields.

Housing areas become isolated and introvert. Compact cities are governmental policy but are impossible to make due to legislation. Maxwan did not accept the form dictated by the legislative gridlock of VINEX and decided to sort out the underlying technical and organizational problems in order to build a town based on opportunities instead of on obligations.

With 30,000 houses (80,000 people) Leidsche Rijn is one of the largest urban schemes in Dutch history. One of the main topics of the scheme is the reconstruction of highway A2, that will be 'hidden' in a hollow dike, crossing the new town, without dissecting.