Jeruzalem

Karres and Brands – in cooperation with Studioninedots – made an urban development plan for the Jeruzalem district, commissioned by the municipality of Amsterdam. In 1950, garden village Frankendael – also called ‘Jeruzalem’ – was built. The district is one of the first Dutch residential districts to be built within a year thanks to the Airey system. The post-war district is popular, but the houses no longer met today’s requirements. With cultural history as a great source of inspiration and a strong team, the unique character of this district has been preserved.

The current residents’ desire for affordable housing in an environment that is equally recognizable has been translated into the strength of the plan. The ambition was to preserve the optimistic, light character of the district as well as the special coherence between urban development, landscape, and architecture. In this way, the plan is underlined by a framework of courtyards and green axes. 
 

The plan provides for the same number of residences in the district as before, but can also be expanded if necessary. A large part of the monumental district has been modernized. This meant that many of the original residents could stay and that the social fabric of the district remained intact. The plan also specifies that new residential blocks will be clustered in the centre of the district. They match the size of the original buildings to maximise the green space and to avoid blocking the connecting role of the landscape. 

The monumental characteristics are preserved in Studioninedots’ designs for block N and Heren5’s designs for blocks G and H. Karres en Brands is responsible for the design of the two green inner gardens. The inner gardens are an extension of the private gardens and a contemporary interpretation of the original design by Mien Ruys. Each inner garden has its own identity, with the diagonal as its starting point. In this way, the gardens contribute to an additional feeling of space.