Open call What if Lab: Bridging the gap

The Municipality of Amsterdam manages approximately 1800 bridges and 600 kilometres of quays. The many bridges and quay walls connect the districts and neighbourhoods with each other and give the city character. But hundreds of bridges and kilometres of quay walls are at the end of their technical life, and a significant part is in poor condition. Time for action! We are looking for designers with a strong future vision for the bridges in Amsterdam.

Closing a bridge to car traffic means a change for local residents that can be negatively received. While there are also opportunities. A piece of the city is reclaimed from the car, which can result in new uses and enrichment for the city. How can we shape the transition of the use of such a bridge in such a way that the change is received as added value in a neighbourhood?

What if… Bridges become multifunctional spaces for city life?

The Municipality of Amsterdam is looking for both social and spatial designers who will work with residents to visualise inspiring and innovative new uses of Amsterdam bridges. The purpose of the designs is to keep traffic off different bridges while at the same time offering a positive alternative use. For this, the Municipality of Amsterdam is looking for one or more concepts to be able to reuse the space that has become available on a bridge closed to traffic.

Who are we looking for?

For this What if Lab, we are looking for interdisciplinary collaboration between a spatial and social designer. Two individual designers or studios from these two disciplines can jointly register as a coalition for this lab. However, it is also possible to register as an individual designer and, after selection by the Municipality of Amsterdam and us, to be linked to a designer or studio from the other discipline. Finally, a design studio that works on both spatial and social issues and has both disciplines in-house can also register.

Read the full briefing and register before 4 September!