MVRDV has announced that Winy Maas has been appointed as Supervisor for Floriade 2022 in Almere to advise on the development of the master plan, including "detailing of the planting plan for the arboretum, definition of design and development principles as 'plot passports', and incorporation of the World Expo program and facilities."

Commissioned by the municipality of Almere, Maas' role will comprise all landscape designs, real estate projects and public artworks for the Floriade area. In his comprehensive agenda, Maas will set objective rules, strategical plans and design parameters to guarantee maximum quality, with the ambition to bring together the best practices and state of the art solutions for the Floriade area. 

His mission will focus on the principles of sustainability, circularity, energy neutrality and green initiative combined with the future arboretum, noted by MVRDV. 

MVRDV’s masterplan for the Almere Floriade 2022. Image © MVRDV

MVRDV is working on a wide-ranging masterplan for the city of Almere - Floriade 2022 - a prestigious world horticultural Expo. Construction work started on a 45-ha city extension - a giant flat plant library - last year. The major extension plan involves major road restructuring and the implementation of new public transport routes, as well as the construction of several overpasses to improve connections within the area.

MVRDV’s overall vision for the Floriade, which includes a 45-hectare city extension which will include: exhibition spaces, hotels, conference centres, a university campus, care home and a marina; and will be built to accommodate a huge number of visitors throughout the Floriade 2022.

Each block will be devoted to different plants, a plant library with perhaps an alphabetical order. Image © MVRDV

The visionary scheme will be comprised of fully integrated plants and trees, transforming people’s everyday lives. The overall scheme will incorporate nature into the urban landscape in order to create a rich variety of architectural and urban experiences and it aims to raise people’s awareness about the environment through simply making it an important part of their lives.

The blocks are also devoted to program, from pavilions to homes, offices and even a university which will be organised as a stacked botanical garden, a vertical eco-system in which each class room will have a different climate to grow certain plants. Image © MVRDV

Floriade 22 is an international event taking place once every ten years in the Netherlands. MVRDV's masterplan for Almere is not designed as a temporary expo site but a lasting green Cité Idéale as an extension to the existing city centre.The Floriade Expo is scheduled to open in 2022.

MVRDV has also worked with the Municipality of Almere to propose a future urban plan for the city in 2030, and for a DIY urbanism plan for Almere Oosterwold.

Top image © Boudewijn Bollmann

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