The new parking garage is located in Rotterdam’s cultural district, the Museumpark. The parking garage is intended for visitors to the city centre, the nearby museums and Erasmus Medical Centre. In addition, one of the largest water storage facilities in the Netherlands will be built below the entrance of the garage, boasting a storage capacity of 10,000 cubic metres. When the project is completed, Rotterdam will be home to 1,150 new parking spaces.
In order to enable the park and outdoor event area to continue to serve their intended purpose, a design has been made for an underground car park, which will be located beneath the current outdoor event area, the solid square in Museumpark. Thanks to the addition of large openings in the roof, the use of light colours, thematic lighting and video projections, visitors can easily locate all facilities in the area, ensuring a safe and enjoyable underground environment.
Not only cars, but also pedestrians are given pride of place in the design for this project. The pedestrian areas in particular will feature additional, more detailed lighting facilities and safe crossings. Two of the pedestrian exits provide access to the park alongside the outdoor event area, while the third exit leads to what will become the main axis of the Erasmus Medical Centrre.
The entrance is located at the ‘head’ of the water between the hospital and the park. In order to keep the busy traffic in the area under control, the crossroads at the top of Museumparkweg will undergo some changes, while the park itself will be given a facelift. Its Shell Garden (Schelpenveld) will be given a ‘greener’ look, making the park an even more pleasant place to visit, while the romantic garden will be restored to its former glory. Furthermore, the outdoor event venue will be given a more polished, high-quality look and feel. The exits will be the new architectural elements of the landscape design.