UTRECHT – 29 January 2008, Strukton has drafted a plan directed at improving the living environment in Amsterdam, without compromising accessibility to the city. The plan involves creating a new city beneath the capital as it were. Both the initiative and design came from Strukton and Amsterdam-based architects Zwarts & Jansma were engaged for the architectural interpretation.

The plan entitled AMFORA (the Dutch acronym for Alternative Multifunctional Underground Space Amsterdam), involves constructing and creating multifunctional underground space beneath the canals of Amsterdam. Through a system of underground spaces with entry and exit points along Amsterdam’s A10 ring road, a range of underground facilities can be created at various levels below the city. To name but a few of the many options, these could include parking garages, sports facilities, cinemas, cables and ducts, and supply facilities. The plan devotes a great deal of attention to the underground experience and architecture. Space, safety and sound orientation are central elements.

The AMFORA plan was today presented and enthusiastically received at the Enlightened Underground International Congress organised by the Netherlands Centre for Underground Construction (Centrum Ondergronds Bouwen – COB) in Amsterdam. Bas Obladen, Senior Consultant Strukton Civiel, and deviser of the plan: “With this innovative plan, Strukton hopes to contribute towards significantly improving the living environment in Amsterdam. It is both feasible and sustainable. Creating a city beneath the city is not futuristic, it is a necessity in this day and age.”

Illustrations of the plan can be seen at www.strukton.com.