Utrecht redevelopment for Bam

A €160 million contract for a large-scale underground car park and new retail spaces for the redevelopment of Hoog Catharijne indoor shopping centre in Utrecht, the Netherlands, has been awarded to Royal BAM Group.

The Dutch-based contractor has been commissioned by retail property company Corio Vastgoed Ontwikkeling, and the project, which will be developed in phases, has already started. BAM expects to complete the project in 2019.

The renewed Hoog Catharijne, designed by Altoon + Porter Architects from Los Angeles and OeverZaaijer architectuur en stedebouw from Amsterdam, is described as being characterised by large, transparent spaces.

The design is said to align shopping centre and city centre. Two boulevards run parallel through the building of the new station square to the city centre. At the Stadskamer, visitors will be able to experience the extended canal Catharijnesingel below.

The project – including the Entreegebouw, the Catharijneknoop and Clarenburg – comprises the construction of a five-storey underground car park of approximately 1,300 spaces, plus 23,000m² of retail space, 19,000m² of shopping arcade and 9,000m² of hotel space.

BAM will also be responsible for 60 homes which have been commissioned by a third party.

More than 6,000m² of the present Hoog Catharijne will be renovated.

The size of the car park is said to be unique in the Netherlands. The building method is said to be unusual, too – to speed things up, the car park will be built in upwards and downwards simultaneously from level -2.

Construction is being carried out by a general partnership in which BAM Utiliteitsbouw and BAM Civiel have joined forces. From the start, BAM Techniek has been involved as co-maker for the electrical and mechanical installations. Other BAM parties involved are BAM Advies & Engineering (detailed engineering), BAM Speciale Technieken (foundation works), BAM Milieu (earthworks and soil remediation) and BAM Nelis de Ruiter (dewatering).