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Exclusive: Designers reveal 'cluster concept' for Amsterdam mega-park
POSTED 24 Dec 2014 . BY Alice Davis
A recent map shows the layout of the proposed Park 21, with the leisure and attractions hub in the top right corner Credit: International Destination Strategies
Plans to create a €400 million (£314m, $489m) “metropolitan theme park” on the outskirts of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, are being developed by a caucus of leading design firms.

The project, dubbed Park 21, is a 1,000-hectare (3,000 acre) cultural, recreational urban parkland, with the landscaped and leisure elements incorporated into farmland and water bodies. Facilities such as shops, restaurants, hotels and attractions are central to the proposal, offering a “cluster concept” experience where visitors may pick and choose from the wide variety of activities on offer.

The development of the plans has been commissioned by the Municipality of Haarlemmermeer, where Schiphol Airport is located. About 20 minutes from downtown Amsterdam, Park 21 would offer residents and tourists an immersive leisure experience.

“The downtown area of Amsterdam is overcrowded,” Hans van Driem, development consultant for the project, told Attractions Management. The city has seen a 14 per cent increase in overnight international visitors since 2013, from 6.35 million that year to 7.23 million in 2014, according to research by MasterCard.

“The municipalities have beautiful areas as well, but nobody goes there,” Van Driem said. “We want to create the same cosy and cultural atmosphere as downtown offers, and here we have 1,000 hectares of land on the doorstep of Amsterdam.”

The hope is Park 21 will make Amsterdam a more attractive destination to families, as well as providing a vast expanse of recreational green space for locals. The major hub of Schiphol Airport is just five minutes away and will be connected by direct train, so transit passengers are a huge potential market.

The concept is being developed alongside consultancy practice Leisure Development Partners (LDP), Dutch leisure concept consultancy M2 Leisure and Canada-based design firm Forrec.

Steven Rhys, vice president of Forrec, is supporting a new kind of leisure attraction. “There’s a phenomenon we’re seeing in entertainment where the conventional single-gated attraction – where you park your car in the lot, walk through the retail village and spend your whole day inside the gated facility – are making way for many gated cluster-concept attractions,” he said.

“This will be a cultural, recreational, family destination. The model we’ve talked about is a deconstructed theme park, a clustered theme park, where you enter through public, no-charge gates and choose what you want to do. You can do it in packages or one at a time; you can stay for two hours or five or more,” said Rhys.

“In the next 12 to 24 months, we’ll be drawing up a financial feasibility study,” added Van Driem. “After an investors roadshow, we hope to announce in 2017 to 2018 that we’ve secured the financing of the project, for a planned opening in April 2020.”
A recent map shows the layout of the proposed Park 21, with the leisure and attractions hub in the top right corner Credit: International Destination Strategies
A recent plan of the park layout, designed to look like a flower, with the leisure and attractions hub in the top right corner of the map Credit: International Destination Strategies
A slide showing the location of the proposed Park 21 development in Haarlemmermeer, Randstad, the Netherlands Credit: International Destination Strategies
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Jobs    News   Products   Magazine
NEWS
Exclusive: Designers reveal 'cluster concept' for Amsterdam mega-park
POSTED 24 Dec 2014 . BY Alice Davis
A recent map shows the layout of the proposed Park 21, with the leisure and attractions hub in the top right corner Credit: International Destination Strategies
Plans to create a €400 million (£314m, $489m) “metropolitan theme park” on the outskirts of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, are being developed by a caucus of leading design firms.

The project, dubbed Park 21, is a 1,000-hectare (3,000 acre) cultural, recreational urban parkland, with the landscaped and leisure elements incorporated into farmland and water bodies. Facilities such as shops, restaurants, hotels and attractions are central to the proposal, offering a “cluster concept” experience where visitors may pick and choose from the wide variety of activities on offer.

The development of the plans has been commissioned by the Municipality of Haarlemmermeer, where Schiphol Airport is located. About 20 minutes from downtown Amsterdam, Park 21 would offer residents and tourists an immersive leisure experience.

“The downtown area of Amsterdam is overcrowded,” Hans van Driem, development consultant for the project, told Attractions Management. The city has seen a 14 per cent increase in overnight international visitors since 2013, from 6.35 million that year to 7.23 million in 2014, according to research by MasterCard.

“The municipalities have beautiful areas as well, but nobody goes there,” Van Driem said. “We want to create the same cosy and cultural atmosphere as downtown offers, and here we have 1,000 hectares of land on the doorstep of Amsterdam.”

The hope is Park 21 will make Amsterdam a more attractive destination to families, as well as providing a vast expanse of recreational green space for locals. The major hub of Schiphol Airport is just five minutes away and will be connected by direct train, so transit passengers are a huge potential market.

The concept is being developed alongside consultancy practice Leisure Development Partners (LDP), Dutch leisure concept consultancy M2 Leisure and Canada-based design firm Forrec.

Steven Rhys, vice president of Forrec, is supporting a new kind of leisure attraction. “There’s a phenomenon we’re seeing in entertainment where the conventional single-gated attraction – where you park your car in the lot, walk through the retail village and spend your whole day inside the gated facility – are making way for many gated cluster-concept attractions,” he said.

“This will be a cultural, recreational, family destination. The model we’ve talked about is a deconstructed theme park, a clustered theme park, where you enter through public, no-charge gates and choose what you want to do. You can do it in packages or one at a time; you can stay for two hours or five or more,” said Rhys.

“In the next 12 to 24 months, we’ll be drawing up a financial feasibility study,” added Van Driem. “After an investors roadshow, we hope to announce in 2017 to 2018 that we’ve secured the financing of the project, for a planned opening in April 2020.”
A recent map shows the layout of the proposed Park 21, with the leisure and attractions hub in the top right corner Credit: International Destination Strategies
A recent plan of the park layout, designed to look like a flower, with the leisure and attractions hub in the top right corner of the map Credit: International Destination Strategies
A slide showing the location of the proposed Park 21 development in Haarlemmermeer, Randstad, the Netherlands Credit: International Destination Strategies
MORE NEWS
Number of visits to UK attractions are bouncing back says ALVA
Visitor numbers at the UK’s leading attractions have bounced strongly, getting to 78 per cent of pre-pandemic numbers.
World's first Play-Doh attractions to be built in Saudi Arabia by Thinkwell and Seven
Saudi Entertainment Ventures (Seven) has revealed plans to develop and operate the world’s first Play-Doh attractions in Saudi Arabia.
Elev8Fun to expand FEC portfolio - will feature Triotech rides
A new family entertainment centre will open in Tampa, Florida, US, this month (March 2023).
Opening date of US$1bn George Lucas museum set for 2025
A US$1bn museum funded by legendary director, George Lucas, will look to become the world's first to focus exclusively on storytelling through images.
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COMPANY PROFILES
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RMA Ltd is a one-stop global company that can design, build and produce from a greenfield site upw [more...]
Clip 'n Climb

Clip ‘n Climb currently offers facility owners and investors more than 40 colourful and unique Cha [more...]
IDEATTACK

IDEATTACK is a full-service planning and design company with headquarters in Los Angeles. [more...]
iPlayCO

iPlayCo was established in 1999. [more...]
+ More profiles  
VIDEO GALLERY

Red Raion - Keynote | Moby Dick - Friends to the rescue!
It’s extremely important for us to show you the process behind every content we produce. Each of our titles stems from deep research, focused on giving you the kinds of content that best fit your venues and target audience. Find out more...
More videos:
ProSlide's all-in-one waterplay entertainment center – Proslide Tech Inc
Testimonial Richard Needham - SimEx-Iwerks Entertainment – Red Raion
+ More videos  

CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  
DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

10-12 May 2023

Asia Pool & Spa Expo

China Import & Export Fair Complex, China
24-27 Oct 2023

Synergy - The Retreat Show

Palmaïa, The House of Aia, Playacar, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
+ More diary  
 


ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2023

ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
LEISURE MEDIA MAGAZINES
LEISURE MEDIA HANDBOOKS
LEISURE MEDIA WEBSITES
LEISURE MEDIA PRODUCT SEARCH
ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT NEWS
ATTRACTIONS HANDBOOK
PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS
FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS