Beatrixpark Architectuur
Almere derives its special character from the way city and nature are intertwined. Each city district is surrounded by greenery and is to...
Almere derives its special character from the way city and nature are intertwined. Each district is surrounded by greenery and penetrated deep into the residential areas by green wedges. The vast Beatrixpark is one of the carriers of inner-city green spaces and is considered Almere's Central Park. B+B, a firm that stands for the application of landscape architecture in cities, initially designed nothing more than a framework for this 125-hectare area. The backbone is a dead straight canal, connecting to de Noorderplassen and the Weerwater. The design is rectilinear, with massive wooded areas and wide footpaths. Long sightlines and spaciousness are paramount. In 1997, the park was due for a refinement of the initial design. The redesign by the same designers included a more intensive side, with new facilities such as a roller-skating track and sports fields, and an extensive side with a more private character. The park was named after Beatrix when the queen came to plant a lime tree in 1981 to celebrate the city's fifth anniversary. Along the straight path, an authentic American diner from 1939 stands against a wooden pavilion dating from a catalogue.
