Bicycle entrance Danzigerkade

In the Amsterdam Houthavens an impressive development has taken place. Several large fashion companies such as Diesel, Hugo Boss, Gaastra, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Desigual have established themselves here.

The Netherlands is a country of cyclists; to facilitate this sustainable choice of mobility a bicycle parking facility was needed. Space was made in the underground parking garage and Octatube did the technical elaboration and construction of the design by Dedato Designers and Architects. 

This project was under time pressure right from the start. Most of the buildings had been completed, but the bicycle entrance had not yet been completed. That's why Octatube finished the process within 2 months: from technical design to construction.

The design
The customer's request was to make the design as light and transparent as possible. We thought along Dedato Designers and Architects on the technical design. In the engineeringsphase we made the glass panels as large as possible, within the allowable budget. On top of the trusses, the stainless steel clamping plates keep the glass panels in place. The space between the panels has been filled so that the glass facades act as a stabiliser. A stainless steel traction cable ensures that the glass panels are held in place. The panels combined form a solid construction.

Challenging assembly 
The bicycle entrance is next to the Moxy hotel in Amsterdam. In order to avoid inconvenience to the hotel guests, the work on the concrete could not be done at maximum speed. This allowed Octatube to start later than expected. Fortunately Octatube succeeded in placing the glass entrance quickly and the first cyclists could already be welcomed during the cleaning.

Bicycle friendly
What used to be the harbour for the supply of wood logs for the timber trade has now become the heart of Amsterdam's fashion industry. The 130-metre wide and almost 500-metre long strip at the Danzigerkade, surrounded on three sides by water, has become a hub for fashion brands. A place that you can now visit easily by bike.

Photography by Mijke van Otterloo for Heren2