The multifunctional town centre Cadenza is the last major development in the centre of Zoetermeer. The development was planned at the site of the former Prins Willem Alexander complex, which has been pulled down. On one side the new centre borders the existing core shopping area and on the other are the town's theatre and the new Utopolis cinema. The plan combines a large number of functions, among which are living, shopping, working, entertainment and sports. The original plans were drawn up in 1998 in cooperation with the property developer Synchroon. For various reasons the work was postponed for some time, but in 2005 the project was taken up again. The plans originally included a closed shopping concept with room for large-scale retailers, but recent research has shown that there is actually a greater demand for an 'open' structure with predominantly small-scale upmarket shops. In consultation with the municipal authorities, the architects of OeverZaaijer architecture and urbanism and the London-based retail specialist Dunnett Craven have redeveloped the plans on the basis of these altered views.
Shopping pavilions and residential towers
The urban planning concept for the area is perfectly geared to the existing context, which includes complex factors such as a railway line and differences in altitude. The built-up area follows the railway line and effortlessly incorporates other directions in the area covered by the plan.
On the eastern side the plan comprises a building volume containing a seven-storey car park. A four-storey office is to be built on top of the car park. The office will harmonise logically with the existing offices aligning the railway line. On the western side the volume ends with a residential tower bordering the shopping area. The tower will contain rented apartments. Beneath the shopping area is a two-storey car park, a discotheque and a large supermarket. There is another residential tower at the entrance to the shopping area at the square containing the theatre. This tower is intended for owner-occupied flats. The towers are both 90 metres high and serve as landmarks viewed from afar. At the 'ground level' of the theatre square a glass roof is suspended high above the shopping area as a large welcoming awning, protecting the shoppers beneath it without closing them off from the open air.
The central shopping area is bordered by two-storey shopping zones. In the central area there are only ground-level shops. The development plan includes catering facilities with large outdoor sitting areas at a higher elevation. A monumental stairway provides access to the outdoor sitting areas from the theatre square. The pavilion-like layout of the shopping area, whose peripheries are also designed as a transparent plinth, combined with the transparent glass roof will give the centre a pleasant, open character.
The differences in altitude will be harmoniously incorporated in the shopping area so that shoppers will pass from the town's existing shopping heart into the new area without being aware of any transition. The main shopping area will also merge perfectly with the existing town centre, which lies 5.5 metres above the surrounding ground level itself, and will gradually descend alongside the cinema to the street level of Italiëlaan. Monumental steps passing in front of the glass foyer of the town's theatre will constitute a connection to Duitslandlaan. This way a small urban square will be created in front of the entrance to the theatre.
Quality and sustainability
The railway line, which inevitably causes noise nuisance, has also been efficiently incorporated in the development concept. The flats in the tower next to the railway line will not be affected by any noise because the first residential floor is more than 10 metres above the level of the railway line. There is no need for any extra soundproofing facilities in the walls of the towers. In designing the residential towers extra attention was paid to the effects of wind on the surrounding area, to avoid undesirable turbulence on the ground.
Quality and sustainability were the guiding principles in designing the complex. Due consideration was given to the maintenance involved in the building materials. The walls are to be built of sustainable materials such as high-quality brickwork, Colorbel panels and aluminium casings.
In the shopping area the bay-wide ground-level shopfronts alternate with brickwork piers. Smaller shop windows will display goods on the floor above. At the height of the first floor a strip will be reserved for advertisements, which are intended to secure unity in the shopping area's layout as a kind of classical frieze surrounding the area. The walls of the central part will be clad with classical, sand-coloured stone, giving this area a stylish finishing touch. Via the facades aligning the theatre square the centre will advertise itself as an upmarket shopping area. Sustainability was also a key factor in planning the installations. The centre will exploit hot/cold water stored in the ground with the aid of heat pumps while the floors of the flats will contain water-filled pipes that give off heat in winter and have a cooling effect in summer.
