Working together on a vibrant Kenniskwartier

On 30 January 2024, around 100 stakeholders were briefed on the breathtaking development that the Kenniskwartier is set to undergo in the years ahead. The Alma room on the tenth floor of the Care and Welfare Educational Institute (OZW) building (‘the red potato’) was the perfect venue to discuss the area’s future – thanks to the huge windows, it was possible to view almost the whole of Kenniskwartier at a single glance.

Local resident Rein from Buitenveldert, an active member of the SC Buitenveldert sports club for years, has strong recollections of the emergence of high-rise buildings in Zuidas: ‘When the WTC and the ABN AMRO buildings were built in the 1980s and 90s, I was worried that the area would become a ghost town.’ But that impression gradually changed. Project manager Jean-Pierre Longayroux (Amsterdam Zuidas) talked about the development of housing and how it is divided into 40% social rented, 40% midmarket rented and 20% private sector housing: ‘In the northern part of Kenniskwartier (between the A10 Zuid and Gustav Mahlerlaan, Ed.) slightly more than 400 homes have been added in 2024 alone, including the more than 200 social rented apartments in Stepstone.’

Frank Uijting (VU) talked enthusiastically about the regeneration of VU Campus. Every day, around 30,000 students and 4,000 staff from both VU and Amsterdam UMC are engaged in education and research there. And this in an environment that is set to become increasingly green, sustainable and vibrant. For example, the autumn of 2024 will see the completion of the green landscaping of the campus square. ‘Everyone is welcome to visit the campus, to enjoy a cup of coffee or buy a book in our bookshop’, says Uijting. ‘That especially applies to all local residents in the surrounding areas, such as Zuidas and Buitenveldert.’

Other matters discussed included the demolition of the Mathematics and Physics (W&N) building, a huge project at the heart of the campus. The building furthest west (the AB Wing) is set to stay: renovation work is expected to continue until 2026. In the meantime, the outermost parts of the rest of the 300 m long building will be demolished. Staff there will move to the VU Research Building or the O|2 Lab Building, but can also use the most central part of the building, at least for now. They will then relocate to the AB Wing after 2026 (when it has been renovated), after which the most central section will also be demolished. The entire operation will be completed in 2028.

Amsterdam UMC has been a prominent feature of the area for many years. It focuses on healthcare, teaching and neurological and oncological research. The Imaging Center research and treatment centre is already being used by Amsterdam UMC. In 2025, it will be joined by a valuable new neighbour, the ADORE Research & Diagnostic Centre (RDC ADORE). ‘Put extremely simply, neurological research into dementia is all about a shortage of cells’, said Arjen van der Zee (Amsterdam UMC). ‘On the other hand, cancer research, oncology, is actually about too many cells. These two disciplines come together in RDC ADORE. And that’s not all: in the stunning, publicly accessible atrium that connects the two buildings together, researchers and patients can meet each other and interact.’

With the new mobility plan, the regeneration of Amsterdam Zuid and the diversion of the A10 Zuid into a tunnel, Amsterdam Zuidas and Zuidasdok are working hard to keep Zuidas accessible. Kenniskwartier will also benefit from that. Very close to it, on the other side of Parnassusweg, the additional passenger tunnel, the Brittenpassage, is set to open by 2027 at the latest. A great deal of work will need to be done to achieve that, as the local area will no doubt notice in 2024. That’s not always very convenient’, says Tom, who is working for hotel Premier Suites in the Hourglass building. ‘But, in the long term, we and our guests will all benefit. The area is developing in the right direction and growth is something we all want to see.’