IJboulevard: a bicycle parking lot with a wooden ceiling, built under water

As a specialist in architectural wooden ceilings, Hunter Douglas Architectural participated in this project by delivering 3.700 m² of solid wood grid ceiling system and 200 m2 of linear partition system.

Underwater construction, XXL space dedicated to cycling and logistical challenge: an exceptional project

In Amsterdam, the “Bike Parking IJboulevard” has recently been built in the heart of the city, under the North side of the station “Amsterdam Centraal” which offers a magnificent view of the IJ river. The architectural project, aimed at creating a space of several thousand square meters located under water to accommodate bicycles, represented an extraordinary challenge.

The busiest infrastructure site in the Dutch capital, “Amsterdam Centraal” sees thousands of people passing through every day. With the creation of a new underwater bicycle parking lot under this station, a complete transformation of the area has been planned: the new infrastructure makes it possible to facilitate the circulation of cyclists, but also of other users. Because in addition to guaranteeing a shelter intended to accommodate more than 4.000 bicycles, the IJboulevard offers more than 6.000 m² of new public space on the surface: the roof of the car park forms a new boulevard along the river.

Composed by the VenhoevenCS, Van Hattum en Blankevoort and DS Landscape architects agencies, the team of designers and architects responsible for the design of this construction showed ingenuity, both on the logistical and technical aspects. . The team designed a semi-floating construction 230 meters long, located underwater, while providing room for marine life. A real feat. On the logistics side, the elements necessary for the construction of this infrastructure, most of which were manufactured locally, were delivered by sea.

Wooden ceiling and wall covering systems for a warm interior

In such a project, the aesthetic requirements are very high. Thus, the interior of the IJboulevard car park is characterized by fluid lines and rounded shapes, which create a welcoming aesthetic. In addition to light colors sported in particular by the floor and a stretched ceiling, the interior is dressed in wood; a material acclaimed for its naturalness and warmth. As the walls and ceilings are an integral part of the interior architecture, particular attention has been paid to these elements. For this project, Hunter Douglas Architectural supplied a total of 3.700 m2 of European pine solid wood grid ceiling system and 200 m2 of partition system.

In order for the wooden ceiling to reinforce the rhythm and flow of the design, the manufacturer used trickery. Tim Tolsma, Solid Wood Ceiling Sales Manager, explains, “The ceiling grid panels are all straight; but for this project, we changed the final distance between the wood and the dowel [the connecting element in the grid]: the distance inside the panel is 3 mm less than that outside. » An effective trick: thus, the wooden sections follow the curve of the main structure. Also vertically, the ceiling system follows the course of the architectural design: grid panels with curves have been specially milled to ensure a smooth transition to the linear partition system.

In this design, the choice of Hunter Douglas solid wood systems makes sense. In addition to emphasizing the curved architecture, the ceiling system allowed luminaires, sprinklers and other technical elements to be easily integrated into the design.

The wall systems also allowed the easy integration of light elements: a special wall grid was developed to allow a 5 mm joint to be created between the blades, in which the LED lines fit perfectly. On the material side, combined with the subtle lighting and a calm color palette, the wooden slats promote the feeling of comfort and orientation.

The IJboulevard, winner of the 2022 Schreuders* prize, represents a real technical and logistical feat. In this project, ingenuity, practicality, durability and design are the key words. While this exceptional project perfectly represents the cycling culture in the Netherlands, for Hunter Douglas it is also an additional benchmark that demonstrates its ability to provide quality solutions for innovative and large-scale architectural projects.

*Dutch award for innovative underground construction projects.

Project data – Summary:

• Project: IJBoulevard bicycle parking, in Amsterdam
• solutions: