Developer AM, along with a team of designers made up of MVRDV, Orange Architects, and LOLA Landscape Architects have been commissioned by NS and the municipality of Zwolle to develop the former business park at the train station in Zwolle. The plan will turn the area into a vibrant innovation district, called WärtZ, including approximately 850 homes for all ages, of which around 30 percent will be social housing. There will also be educational institutions, workspaces for creative makers, catering, and facilities for the neighbourhood. The result will be a vibrant railway park in the area, with the characteristic Wärstsilä hall at its heart.
The site will undergo a spatial and programmatic transformation in the coming years, following the development framework for the entire railway zone and the memorandum of principles for the NS sub-areas. Within these plans, the municipality of Zwolle has set major ambitions in the areas of energy, mobility, circularity, and climate, among other things. The area has been designated by the government as one of the seventeen NOVEX areas for large-scale housing construction.
The name WärtZ (standing for Wild, Art, Raw, Tech and Zwols) reflects the atmosphere of the new innovation district and refers to the existing Wärtsilä hall, characterised by its undulating roof. This transformation design by MVRDV will become the new centrepiece of this future place-to-be. The roof becomes iconic in WärtZ, while a lot will change above, below, and around it. The hall itself will provide space for innovative startups, creative companies, and educational and research institutions. The central hall also forms the stage for events that can open onto the square outside. On top of the Wärtsilä hall, a spectacular wooden apartment building will be built. A publicly accessible deck will be constructed between the hall and this structure, from which visitors will have a 360-degree view of the undulating roof of the hall, the floodplains of the Ijssel, and the city centre of Zwolle. This building sets the tone for WärtZ as a circular, sustainable, and green counterpart to the historic city centre.
The characteristic roof of the hall will feature a statue by Marte Röling, the Dikke Vette Gouden Vredesduif (Big Fat Golden Dove of Peace). This sculpture, one of three originals produced by the artist in 2002, is now being returned to a public location after years in obscurity. From its position on the Wärtsilä Hall it looks out to its counterpart on the roof of Museum De Fundatie, 500 metres away.
© AM, LOLA, MVRDV, Orange, Vivid Vision
In addition to the Wärtsilä Hall, MVRDV has designed three mixed-use buildings with housing and workspaces to complete the central part of WärtZ, known as the Werkplaatsen. To the west of this is the sub-area called Lurelui, designed by Orange Architects.
“I think it is fantastic to breathe new life into this industrial area for AM, together with Orange Architects and LOLA Landscape Architects,” says MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs. “MVRDV already has a number of transformations to its name, from our Roskilde Rock Campus to Tripolis Park in Amsterdam. This provided a lot of knowledge about how we can repurpose existing buildings in the most sustainable way possible. The Wärtsilä hall, with the new wooden residential building on top, is a good example of sustainable repurposing and densification in the city.”
© AM, LOLA, MVRDV, Orange, Vivid Vision
“I consider WärtZ as the naughty sister of the historic city centre”, says Doeschka Bos, development manager at AM. “The mix of housing typologies, education, facilities, and functions ensures a strong social fabric and opportunities for everyone. Entrepreneurs, educational institutions, the Spoorzone Zwolle Innovation District foundation and new Zwolle initiatives have all been involved in the planning process from the outset. We therefore ensure that the innovative ecosystem that was intended gets off the ground and comes to life immediately.”
© AM, LOLA, MVRDV, Orange, Vivid Vision
WärtZ's public space encourages encounters and brings people closer to nature. The landscape design by LOLA Landscape Architects is based on the principles of “urban rewilding”, which returns parts of public space to nature. What is now largely asphalt will become part of a large natural “canvas” for makers, residents, and visitors. The compact residential buildings by Orange Architects in the Lurelui zone are also included in that wild, green canvas.
© AM, LOLA, MVRDV, Orange, Vivid Vision
WärtZ gives priority to walkers, cyclists, and public transport users, with attractive slow-traffic routes, multifunctional parking hubs, a wide range of shared transport, and a Bicycle Innovation Centre – all in close proximity to Zwolle Station. The plan fits in with the ambitions of NS and the Municipality of Zwolle for a healthy and car-free neighbourhood, with the goal of giving Zwolle the greenest inner-city station area in the Netherlands. With Wärtz, the historic centre of Zwolle will get a contemporary second city centre on the south side of the station.
© AM, LOLA, MVRDV, Orange, Vivid Vision
The total area of the area to be developed is 9.5 hectares and consists of the sub-areas Lurelui, Spoorpark, and Hallenplein, which includes Wärtsilä hall and Werkplaatsen. The innovation district will be realised in phases in the coming years. The realisation of the first phase is expected to start in 2025.
Learn more about the design of WärtZ here.