Redevelopment of Nunspeet Market in full swing

June 3, 2013
In the spring of 2013, after the redevelopment of Dorpstraat in 2009 the Municipality of Nunspeet commenced with the realisation of the redevelopment of the market and the surroundings of the city hall. This will give the centre of the core a substantial quality improvement and the shopping area will be more attractive and more liveable for residents and visitors. On commission for the Municipality of Nunspeet, MTD landschapsarchitecten drew up a new design for Dorpsstraat and the Market and elaborated these in construction drawings and a building specification. An important goal of the redevelopment plan was the aspiration for a city centre with an authentic and village-like ambiance. A crucial intervention for the Market was to render a traffic-free square and the enhancement of the repose quality. In a spatial sense, here a natural stone was introduced for the square's surface area, held free from the walls of the square and implemented in small-sized paving stones. The square's surface is enclosed by a wide strip of natural stone and on the city hall side it's accompanied by a low beech hedge, which marks the profile of the historical Kerkepad (church path). Space has been left behind this hedge for wedding processions and six to seven parallel parking places. At the square, in an ostensibly random fashion, an array of trees has been introduced. On the Dorpsstraat side the edge of the square is marked by a long wooden bench and a fountain. The circular fountain lies in the square's surface area and there's an engraving in the natural stone edge: 'wateris • waterwas • waterkomt' ['water is • water was • water comes'], which is the result of a competition held by the Municipality of Nunspeet. Here's an attractive meeting place in the sun with a view of the square, the fountain and Dorpsstraat.

The edges of the square's surface area have been realised in baked clinkers with a linear drainage in the natural stone. This edge also contains the lighting elements and the bicycle racks. The catering establishments situated along the sides of the square have a possibility for the exploitation of a terrace along both the façade as well as on the square itself.
The total costs of the realisation of the project for the redevelopment of the market (and surroundings) amount to approximately € 1.5 million. The project was concluded by the summer of 2013, so the inhabitants of Nunspeet can now enjoy their new city centre!