James Bond-style Pond and Parking Garage Entrance by HOSPER

Earlier this week, we featured the urban square design GENK C-m!ne by Dutch landscape and urban design firm HOSPER. Here's another project by them we really enjoyed: an almost 8,000 square foot ornamental pond on top of an underground parking garage which rivals any James Bond supervillan lair. The fascinating garage entrance, which has won multiple design awards, is part of the larger urban and landscape master plan HOSPER drew up for the land of the historic Hageveld Estate, near Amsterdam.

Project Description from the Architects:

Change in the estate’s function
Hosper drew up the urban and landscape master plan, a design for the land of the Hageveld estate and the (detailed) design of the ornamental lake on top of the underground car park.

The estate had previously been a seminary, and part had been used as a secondary school. Although Hageveld still had allure, the vegetation has been neglected and the Voorhuis (front section) was vacant. In 2002 the new owner wished to transform the Voorhuis into a block of (luxury) apartments. At the same time the Hageveld Atheneum College wished to expand the Achterhuis (back section).

The spatial design of the estate is based on three concentric shells, each with an individual character. The main building forms the core, which is surrounded by the lushly-planted estate and, outside the estate, farmland. The two outer shells function as a (landscape) park.

Restoration of the green character
The implementation of the master plan resulted in the restoration and improvement of the structure of the greenery and water system of the entire Hageveld estate (140.000 m²). The green character of the estate has been enhanced, in particular around the main building. The buildings now stand ‘with their feet in the grass' for as much as is possible. Land on the west side of the estate was bought to restore the severely neglected planting. Trees were planted on this land. The circuit of paths and views has been restored and expanded.

Living on the estate
A plan has been drawn up for the Voorhuis for 60 apartments of varying size. Two parking spaces required for each apartment would need to be right next to the building. The sole solution that complied with the functional and ethical requirements was the construction of an underground car park immediately in front of the Voorhuis.

A new ornamental-pond design
The quality of this representative side of the estate has been retained and enhanced by the construction of a large new ornamental pond that is ‘invisibly’ bisected by the entrance to the underground car park.

The ornamental pond, with a water surface of 730 m² and a depth of 60 cm, has a rim of COR-TEN steel. Light shafts in the ornamental pond allow daylight into the underground car park. The openings are covered with coloured glass panels, each of which is an individual work of art. At night-time the light from the underground car park shining upwards through the panels results in a very special effect. In addition, the liveliness of the water is increased by the special fountains that are switched on at intervals and produce small bubbles just above the surface of the water.

Project Details:

Project: Hageveld Estate
Location: Heemstede, the Netherlands
Client: Hopman Interheem Groep
Area: 730 square meters (pond); 14 hectares (estate)
Date of completion: 2007

Awards:
finalist Dutch Design Awards 2008
winner Arie Kepplerprijs 2009
nomination Best Private Plots 2010
included in the Yearbook Landscape Architecture and Town Planning in the Netherlands 2010

Architect: HOSPER landscape architecture and urban design
Designers: Berrie van Elderen, Marike Oudijk

Partners:
Architecture: Stijlgroep
Braaksma & Roos architects
MYJ groep architects
HMADP architects
Glass art: Hermine van der Does

Photography: Pieter Kers

Find more drawings, diagrams and sketches in the image gallery below.