Young heritage in a highly urban environment
The OPG site and the former bus depot are part of subarea 5 in the Merwedekanaal zone in Utrecht. The city’s ambition is to develop this subarea into a high-density urban area with a mix of functions, including housing, businesses, and social facilities.
Project info
Status
In development
Programme
Around 2,000 homes, 40,000 m² of business space
150 meters of park, 1,450 parking spaces
Size
80.000 m2
The history of the site is marked by both social and innovative business activity. Originally, the OPG and Buster sites were home to the Mutual Pharmaceutical Wholesale (OPG). It originated from a pharmacists’ guild, where medicines were developed, manufactured, and distributed in an innovative way. The G.S.W (Municipal Social Workshop) added a social function to the area as a social workshop. The G.V.U. (Municipal Transport Company Utrecht) cleverly extended the lifespan of city buses. The G.V.U., now known as Qbuzz, is still important today as an office location and for the maintenance and upkeep of city buses.
In recent years, the OPG site has developed into a breeding ground for creative, small-scale, and socially-minded businesses and is now well-known. Several companies have indicated that they would like to establish themselves permanently on the OPG site.
Mei, commissioned by the municipality of Utrecht, looked into how existing buildings and businesses can be integrated into the Merwede area development. By creating a transformation strategy based on existing value and testing it against programmatic goals, careful decisions were made about preservation, renovation, transformation, and demolition. The plan focuses on a layered city where the heritage ensemble remains tangible. At the same time, the existing buildings provide space for initiatives, business, and innovative entrepreneurs. The iconic Bulk hall with its distinctive roofs forms the heart of the creative businesses. Building M, formerly used for medicine storage, gains a public role in the neighborhood, at the square, and along the canal. The depot transformation was designed by Mei architects and planners. This strategy was approved by the city council and thus served as the framework for the urban planning development of Merwede.
