The plan for the Kabeldistrict in Delft, where in the coming years the former Dutch Cable Factory will be transformed into a lively city center with a combination of living and working, has received international recognition during the Urban Design & Architecture Design Awards 2020. The project, designed by Mei architects and planners on behalf of the development combination Amvest and KondorWessels Vastgoed, was chosen as the winner of the ‘Urban Design Concept’ category. It is acclaimed for the distinctive and innovative capacity of redeveloping, and its impact on society.
From factory site to hotspot for entrepreneurs and residents
Kabeldistrict Delft, part of the redevelopment of Schieoevers Noord, is a distinctive contemporary urban expansion in which a business park is being transformed on a large scale into a vibrant living and working environment. The Kabeldistrict builds on the existing qualities, activity, and industrial past of the existing extensive Cable Factory. The visible fusion of old and new creates its own identity that contributes to a strong cohesion and connection between future residents and entrepreneurs, consisting of start-ups, scale-ups and established companies. With a high degree of circularity and a layered integration of greenery and water, Delft is at the forefront of productive and sustainable area development. The plan for the Kabeldistrict is distinctive and unique in the Netherlands on this scale.
About the UDAD 2020 Awards
Established in 2016, the UDAD 2020 Awards (Urban Design & Architecture Design Awards 2020) is one of the world’s most prestigious awards for urban design. The award is presented by the global online platform APR, to recognize the work of architecture and design professionals and students around the world. The renowned jury focuses on progressive ideas that redefine architecture, through the implementation of new technologies, materials, programs, aesthetics, and spatial organizations together with studies on globalization, flexibility, adaptability, and the digital revolution.
Planning Kabeldistrict
The Kabeldistrict is currently in the final planning phase. Construction of the first phase is expected to start at the end of 2022. During the various phases of the plan, KD Campus and KD Lab are taking place in temporarily furnished spaces, where TU Delft students and young start-ups can work on the development and production of (high-tech) ideas. The first homes and commercial spaces will be completed in 2024.
Mei architects and planners designed the urban plan for Amvest and KondorWessels Vastgoed and in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team. ZUS is involved as a landscape architect for the design of the public space.