Spoorkwartier

Spoorkwartier is a former railway marshalling yard directly south of Groningen’s central station. Once a place of movement and logistics, the site has the potential to become a new and distinctly urban part of the city.

The challenge is to transform this large inner-city area into a compact and diverse neighbourhood, while connecting it to the surrounding city. Housing, workspaces and collective facilities are organised around a new network of streets, courtyards and public spaces. Different building types and housing models create a mix of scales, densities and ways of living.

The design starts from the idea of the Spoorkwartier as an extension of Groningen rather than a self-contained development. Public space is therefore not residual space between buildings, but the structure that holds the neighbourhood together. Routes connect the station and surrounding districts, while gardens, squares and shared spaces create places for meeting and staying.

Nature-inclusive and biobased construction are integral to the approach. Green structures run through the district, while materials and building systems are developed with a focus on adaptability and a reduced environmental impact.

Spoorkwartier explores how a former piece of railway infrastructure can become a new piece of city: dense but open, urban but green, and rooted in the identity of Groningen.