Consortium With West 8 Wins Tender MIRT Study Leiden Central Station Area
Leiden, the Netherlands
The Municipality of Leiden awarded the contract for the MIRT study of Leiden Central Station area to the consortium consisting of West 8, Benthem Crouwel Architects, Royal HaskoningDHV, and AT Osborne. The consortium was chosen as the winner of this tender from a pool of 5 competing consortia for the ‘complete team with strong CVs’, and considers the submitted vision ‘realistic and convincing’.
Working together, the MIRT study will, over the next two years, create a selection of promising solutions for further investigation and development. Based on the solutions, a preferred alternative will then be chosen for the Leiden Central Station area. This area has the potential to become the bustling heart of a vibrant urban district where connection, meeting, and greenery are central. In short, an area that adds value to the city and that Leiden residents can be proud of.
About the project:
The area of Leiden Central station is under pressure. Due to residential and commercial pressures within not only the project area, but the city of Leiden and the greater region, the Station area will soon reach the limits of its capacity. For the MIRT study, the team will examine variations for the layout of the area, both solving bottlenecks and simultaneously achieving core the objectives of urbanization (program and spatial quality), mobility (increased use of public transport and an attractive point of transfer), and sustainability. Last but not least, the community will be involved in the plans for the renewal of Leiden Central Station area.
The consortium has ample experience with transformations of public transport hubs and station areas in the Randstad. Working together, the parties will approach the task with a fresh and creative perspective, leveraging their experience with similar public transport challenges such as Rotterdam Central station, Amsterdam Central station, and their knowledge of the region (Leiden Bio Science Park, R-net connection Leiden-Katwijk-Noordwijk).
More about the MIRT study, Leiden:
Between Leiden and Dordrecht (the Oude Lijn), approximately 54,000 new homes will be developed, and 80,000 additional workplaces will be created by 2030. To cope with the expected increase in traffic on the roads and simultaneously offer an environmentally friendly alternative to cars, an improved public transportation system is necessary. The MIRT (Multi-Year Program for Infrastructure, Spatial Planning, and Transport) exploration of Leiden Central Station area is one of the five MIRT studies on the Oude Lijn. In addition to Leiden Station, MIRT studies will also be initiated for the stations in Schiedam, Dordrecht, and Den Haag Laan van NOI. The fifth MIRT study on the Oude Lijn concerns an investigation into the City Sprinter concept and the integration of four new stations.