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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
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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
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Therme Group has received planning permission to build the UK’s first city-based wellbeing resort, Therme Manchester, after a four-year journey.
Pocket Planet attraction to bring 'immersive miniverse' on London's famous Oxford Street
White Crane Lake visitor centre in Yingtan, China glows like a shining lantern on a lake
A newly opened visitor centre at White Crane Lake in Yingtan, China, has been designed to look like a shining lantern within a forest.
New designs unveiled for Therme Canada Ontario Place and Therme Manchester
Therme Canada has released a newly evolved project design for its West Island of Ontario Place destination. The facility will deliver Therme Group's signature year-round family-friendly destination attraction concept alongside four more acres of public parkland.
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COMPANY PROFILES
Alterface

Alterface’s Creative Division team is seasoned in concept and ride development, as well as storyte [more...]
IAAPA EMEA

IAAPA Expo Europe was established in 2006 and has grown to the largest international conference and [more...]
DJW

David & Lynn Willrich started the Company over thirty years ago, from the Audio Visual Department [more...]
TechnoAlpin

TechnoAlpin is the world leader for snowmaking systems. Our product portfolio includes all different [more...]
+ More profiles  
VIDEO GALLERY

Red Raion - Testimonial Richard Needham - SimEx-Iwerks Entertainment
Last July 7th, Red Raion took part in the opening event of FICO Eataly World, the Italian theme park dedicated to food - the only one worldwide! Find out more...
More videos:
+ More videos  

CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  
DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

05-05 Oct 2023

VAC 2023

QEII Conference Centre, London, United Kingdom
24-26 Oct 2023

ASEAN Pool & Spa Expo

IMPACT Exhibition Centre, Thailand
+ 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
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