On Thursday 16 May the Strijp-S transformation project was awarded the prestigious NEPROM prize for site development. Yasin Torunoglu, councillor for spatial development, together with VolkerWessels and housing corporations Sint Trudo and Woonbedrijf was presented with the award at the Project Development Day in Den Bosch.
Commenting on Strijp-S the jury said:
"From the start the team have worked with drive and enthusiasm to create a multifunctional and mixed city, showing great respect and inventiveness towards the existing buildings and social structure. High-profile events such as the GLOW light festival and Dutch Design Week have succeeded in putting the location on the map, which has a positive knock-on effect on the city and the region as a whole. With this extensive, long-term area development the collaborative partners have shown how an adaptive plan with strong core values and intense engagement on the part of the users can create an attractive and popular area in the city, which many now call home." (jury report)
The development of Strijp-S started in 2002 with the public-private partnership between VolkerWessels and the Eindhoven city authorities, joined later by housing corporations Sint Trudo and Woonbedrijf and a number of real estate companies. Strijp-S was previously nominated for the NEPROM prize in 2013. On that occasion the jury also expressed great appreciation for the redevelopment of the former Philips site into somewhere to live, work and stay in Eindhoven, presenting the area with the incentive award. Today Strijp-S is growing rapidly. In two years’ time it will be home to 2,500 people and 1,000 businesses providing jobs for 3,000 people. It’s a great place for eating, drinking and entertainment and each year over one million people visit to enjoy the wide range of events in the area.
“Area development is a long-term business. It requires you to hold on and work together in bad times as well as good, said councillor Torunoglu shortly after the award ceremony. “Strijp-S proves that working together pays off, because it has really brought a huge amount of dynamism. And it was about time that we won this prize!"
Strijp-S beat off four other contenders to win the prize: Stadshart Lage Zijde (Alphen aan de Rijn), Gasthuyspoort (Breda), Nieuw Crooswijk (Rotterdam) and Leidsche Rijn Centrum (Utrecht).