The development of the Kabouter Garage, a car park with a capacity of 413 spaces, forms part of the extension to the centre of Almere-Buiten. Plenty of greenery and an easily understandable structure are features of Almere-Buiten. In the field of architecture, many experiments with innovative materials and inventive structures have taken place here, and these are also features of the Kabouter Garage.

The striking facade of the Kabouter Garage consists of perforated panels specially developed in collaboration with a producer from the automobile industry and a facade construction firm. Figures of birds, windmills, garden gnomes and birdhouses, all distinctive images of the Province of Flevoland and the city of Almere, were pressed out of the perforated facade panels using vacuum forming technology. The surface relief created by the pressed figures on the panels lends the garage the appearance of a cheerful-looking giant tin can. Since the facade panels act as veils, the garage interior is flooded with daylight. This also creates a sense of community safety and pleasant natural ventilation in the garage. In the evening hours the facade acts as a luminous object that further enhances community safety in the immediate surroundings.

Greenery

The striking garage facade features natural elements such as integrated flower boxes. Copijn garden and landscape architects created a different planting scheme for each facade based on its orientation.

Project details:

Location: Straat van Florida, 1334 PA Almere, The Netherlands
Programme: 14.500 m2, 415 parking places
Design: Mei architecten en stedenbouwers
Team: Robert Winkel, Menno van der Woude, Hennie Dankers, Robert Platje, Pepijn Berghout, Maurice de Ruijter, Nars Broekharst
Client: Stadsbeheer Gemeente Almere
Advisors:
Constructor: Pieters Bouwtechniek Almere
Green supplies: Copijn garden and landscape architects. Copijn garden and landscape architects takes care of the plants on the facade. On each facade there are specific plants based on the orientation of the facade.
Fire: Van Elst & Roelofs Plancoördinatie
Construction: Koopmans Bouw
Building costs: Euro 5.400.000,-
Realisation: 2010/2011