Slotervaart

The transformation of the former Slotervaart Hospital creates an opportunity to redefine care as a foundation for urban life. In this project, the social purpose of this iconic Amsterdam building is maintained and developed it into the heart of a new Care Quarter: a neighbourhood built around health, community and sustainable living.

The historic cross-shaped hospital building will be regenerated into the Center for Care, an innovative environment focused on prevention, recovery and wellbeing. Around this existing landmark, new housing, programmes and public spaces create a healthy and inclusive neighbourhood as part of the wider transformation of the Amsterdam Schinkelkwartier.

The proposal is based on three interconnected themes: sport, healthy food and sustainable living. These elements form the everyday foundation of the neighbourhood—encouraging active lifestyles, social interaction and a strong connection between people and their environment.

The urban structure is inspired by the former polder landscape and the open planning principles of Van Eesteren’s Amsterdam Expansion Plan (AUP). A flexible grid, the Barcode, creates a framework for buildings, landscape and public space. Within this structure, a diverse mix of heights, typologies and programmes can evolve over time.

The result is a neighbourhood where care extends beyond the hospital: a place designed not only for getting healthy, but particularly for staying healthy. The Center for Care becomes a new civic anchor for Amsterdam West—a living environment where health, sustainability and community are inseparable.