A masterplan a new leisure district for Dutch football club Feyenoord, which includes a sculptural new stadium, has been approved by the mayor of Rotterdam.
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Feyenoord City Masterplan, developed by architects OMA, can now be implemented at a site on the Maas river in the south of the city.
The new intricately clad 63,000 seat stadium, located at the waterfront, is to be the landmark of Feyenoord City and the catalyst for further development of this area.
At the core of the masterplan is The Strip, an 800m (2,600ft) long boulevard connecting the new ground to the club’s old stadium De Kuip, which will be reconverted into apartments, commercial space, an athletics sports centre and a public square.
“We have helped to connect parts of the city that were isolated and difficult to reach and we designed a piece of city around the Feyenoord football club and its new stadium, which will connect people through sport and community,” said David Gianotten, partner-in-charge at OMA. “With this design, OMA fulfils our strong desire to develop a sport city that is unique in the Netherlands and northern Europe.”
In total the masterplan includes 64,000sq m (689,000sq ft) of commercial space – including a new cinema, restaurants and shops related to sports – and an 83,000sq m (893,400sq ft) public programme including a sports experience and urban sport fields. A large public park will also be created.
“This plan includes everything a city could wish for,” said Adriaan Visser, Rotterdam Alderman for Sport. “A social programme for those who really want something, a challenging development which will give a great boost to Rotterdam, and a new stadium for Feyenoord for the decades to come.”
Gerard Hoetmer, a director at Feyenoord football club, added: “With this plan, Feyenoord will do what it has done for the past hundred years: take initiative and create a perspective for the next generation of Rotterdam’s talents. We also create space to double the player budget of Feyenoord, which will position the club at the top of the Dutch football league."
