THE CITY

AT EYE LEVEL

LESSONS IN STREET PLINTHS

Edited by: Meredith Glaser, Mattijs vant Hoff, Hans Karssenberg,

Jeroen Laven and Jan van Teeffelen

PREFACE
This book is about the plinths in the
city, the ground floors that negotiate
between the inside and the outside,
between the public and the private.
It cites various examples, shoes
history, and explores how the plinth
and its design affects the urban
experience.
As a pedestrian in the city, you ought
to feel comfortable, safe, and
captivated by the details of what your
eyes see.

HOW DID THE PLINTH WORK

BEFORE AND HOW DOES IT
WORK NOW?

INTRODUCTION

PLINTH = GROUND FLOOR OF A BUILDING

Post war industrialisation led to the focus on

functionalism

Now we experience the shift from making the city

to being the city.
More attention on the urban experience, or urban
warmth.
The plinth is responsible for shaping most of the
user/viewer experience.

PLINTHS AND PUBLIC REALM

Urbanites experience their cities in what we call the public realm and it includes
facades of buildings and everything that can be seen at eye level.

The ground floor may be only 10% of a building, but it determines 90% of the
buildings contribution to the experience of the environment.

A building may be ugly, but with a vibrant plinth, the experience can be positive. The
other way around is also possible.

PLINTHS AND THE ECONOMY

Retails,cafes and restaurant provide the highest profits in plinths. But are they always
viable?
The last ten years the Netherlands saw a 50% increase in
surface space dedicated to retail, while turnover in the sector remained
the same. In the coming years the retail sector expects an additional
30% to disappear as a consequence of internet shopping.

A good plinth strategy will have to embrace a wide range of functions,

including social functions and houses on the ground floor.
A building may be ugly, but with a vibrant plinth, the experience can be positive. The
other way around is also possible.

VS

BAD PLINTH

Plinths are simply not suitable for attractive public

functions.
Development of drawing functions inside.
Eg. shopping malls, multifunctional complexes etc.

GOOD PLINTH

Ypenburg, primary school in this child rich newly

built area in twenty years it can easily be used
for other purposes

KEY PLINTH PLAYERS

Useful to look into some of the most important players positions: developers, owners,
entrepreneurs, and renters.
For project developers, the plinth is most of all part of their building, rather than part of
a street.

Office owners are satisfied when they can

rent 90% of their buildings.
A strategy is needed in which governments,
developers,designers, owners, and renters each
play their own parts.

Weesperstraat Amsterdam, offices often dont have attractive plinths

CRITERIA FOR GOOD PLINTHS

1. The Building:
Variety of functions
Transparent faades
Special character of the architecture
Richness in material
Vertical orientation of the faade
A well functioning hybrid zone
Appropriate signing
Flexibility in height (4m min.)
Flexibility in the land use plan
(Zoning)

Criterium Building

CRITERIA FOR GOOD PLINTHS

2. The Street:
pleasure to walk in
physical comfort (wind, sound, sun,
shadow, maintenance)
defi nition (the height should at least be
half the width)
variation in buildings
quality that binds the eye
good tree canopy
parking facilities
clear beginning and ending of the street
possibilities
Criterium Street

CRITERIA FOR GOOD PLINTHS

3 The context
plinth-oriented consumer audience
(pedestrian streams day and night, 5-20
passers-by per width meter per minute,
economic and cultural capital in the
surrounding neighbourhoods)
special urban programme or a special
cluster of economic or cultural functions
good connections to the network of
squares and parks
partners who take initiative
coherent urban design
a good position in the urban fabric and in
the citys walking and cycling routes
Criterium Context

INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON
One aspect of good and varied streets is to have compact concentrations of different
functions in the plinth.
On comparing some of the internationally renowned Great Streets: Regent Street in
London, Les Champs-Elyses and Boulevard St. Michel in Paris, and Paseo
de Gracia in Barcelona, Following conclusions for great cities were drawn:
- Have an average of a new unit every 10 meters
with a house, a public function or an office
A minimum of a new public function in every
15 meters (6-8 public functions every 100 meters)
Offices are not important for Great Streets, living is possible if
not too dominant as a single function. Mostly public functions
create Great Streets: shops, cafs, restaurants, education.

HISTORY OF THE CITY

STREET AND PLINTH

INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON
One aspect of good and varied streets is to have compact concentrations of different
functions in the plinth.
On comparing some of the internationally renowned Great Streets: Regent Street in
London, Les Champs-Elyses and Boulevard St. Michel in Paris, and Paseo
de Gracia in Barcelona, Following conclusions were drawn:
-Great Streets have an average of a new unit every 10 meters
with a house, a public function or an offi ce (this means 8-10
units every 100 meters)
Great Streets have a minimum of a new public function in every
15 meters (6-8 public functions every 100 meters)
Offi ces are not important for Great Streets, living is possible if
not too dominant as a single function. Mostly public functions
create Great Streets: shops, cafs, restaurants, education.

 Cities are hubs for the exchange of goods, culture, knowledge and ideas. The city street is
the stage where this exchange takes place.
For centuries city streets had a natural vibrancy and dynamic, where various functions
came together.

Shops and traffi c in London,

Cheapside (1831)

Paris, a strong connection

between buildings, plinth and
street creates an attractive city

Langestraat Amersfoort, streets

used to have a dynamic of living,
working and transport

 Cities are hubs for the exchange of goods, culture, knowledge and ideas. The city street is
the stage where this exchange takes place.
For centuries city streets had a natural vibrancy and dynamic, where various functions
came together.

Shops and traffi c in London,

Cheapside (1831)

Paris, a strong connection

between buildings, plinth and
street creates an attractive city

Langestraat Amersfoort, streets

used to have a dynamic of living,
working and transport

THE CITY OF INTERWOVEN LIVE AND WORK (UNTIL 1850)

CITY:

Founded at intersections of roads or waterways, eg. Berlin, New York, Amsterdam.

Exchange of goods and ideas took place and an urban core established.
Fortifications formed a delineation from the countryside.

STREETS:

Social and economic life took place on the

squares, streets, quays and bridges, where the
markets were held.
Majority of freight transport by water
No. of streets grew with increasing traffic.
Regulations like plot alignment came into being.

THE CITY OF INTERWOVEN LIVE AND WORK (UNTIL 1850)

PLINTHS:

Living, working and trading took place in the same building and street, where craftsmen displayed
merchandise in front of their homes in stalls.
These stalls became permanent and were incorporated in the facades.
From the late Middle Ages the passage zone between the street and the home was marked by a
stoop or porch.

Medieval streetscape:
public space as an
extension of the house

THE LURE OF MODERNITY (1850-1940)

CITIES:

Railways became important next to waterways.

Ports,industrial and residential areas were built outside the city or at the former fortifications.
New stations on the city boundary became new core areas.
Characteristic of the city plans in this period were the monumental axes with a separation between
A separation of functions took place

Champs Elyses in Paris, around 1880

Vienna Ringstrasse, developed in the second

half of the 19th century

THE LURE OF MODERNITY (1850-1940)

STREET:

PLINTH:

New breakthrough in bridges: Circulation

improved.
Traffic flows separated from 19th century.
Since 1861 sidewalk were created.

New York, around 1900

The facades were transformed into attractive

storefronts to display the goods, with a purpose to
entice the passerby.
Common to have full windows.
The entrance was set back, creating a small alcove

Shop facades from ca. 1900 in The Hague

LEAVING THE INNER-CITY (1945-1970)

CITY:

STREET:

Enormous growth of car usage and its

importance in planning
Main planning concept was separation
between living, working, amenities and
traffic.

New means for traffic safety: zebra crossing, signals,

roundabouts, etc.
The streets were further divided and the cohesive
space disappears.
Hierarchical streets came into being.

Skyways in Minneapolis: pedestrian connections between buildings

LEAVING THE INNER-CITY (1945-1970)

PLINTH:

Due to open plot allotments, new concept of continuous shops and supply at the
back introduced.
Historic city streets were modernized with display cases and new store fronts.
The plinths had an open design to entice passersby

IN SEARCH OF SMALL SCALE URBANITY (1970-1990)

CITY:

STREET:

Public space was rediscovered as an area to walk, meet

and gather.
An important milestone was the closure of shopping
streets for car access, becoming pedestrian zones

Cities started to ward off cars and

improved the hospitality of the city.
Emphasis on human-scale buildings
and streets, and a transition zone
between private and public spaces.
Most new shops and supermarkets
were developed in centrally located
shopping malls close to the new
residential areas.

IN SEARCH OF SMALL SCALE URBANITY (1970-1990)

PLINTH:

Inner city areas still were replaced with new but small-scale housing developments.
Most new buildings were internal-oriented and the relationship between house and
public space was part of the architectural form.
The plinths however often focused only on housing and living and not on shops, services
and restaurants - only few streets were designated as new shopping streets.

THE CITY AS A MAGNET (1990 PRESENT)

CITY:

The rise of sidewalk bars and cafs and specialized retail signifi edthe rediscovery of the
centre as a place for meeting, amusement, and shopping as eisure activity.
Public realm regarded as an important outdoor space for citizens, such as green parks and
squares.
The effect of cities attractiveness on the economy realised.
Abandoned harbours and old industrial areas, close to the inner-cities, were redeveloped for
housing, offices, leisure and places of culture.

THE CITY AS A MAGNET (1990 PRESENT)

STREET:

The reconquest of public space created more space for pedestrians and reduces the car in
the city centre.
As an alternative for separating traffic, the Shared Space approach created a common street
for everyone.

STREET:

Stronger interaction between streets and adjacent houses, shops and restaurants.
Design approach with a stronger link between the plinth and public realm and their coherence.

PLINTHS & URBAN DESIGN

THE URBAN PUBLIC REALM

As humans, we need urban public
realm to meet other people.
Thus, the human scale and its vibrancy
is important, which are provided by
the plinths.
This refers not solely to the plinth but
to the whole design of the street and
public spaces; street and plinth need
each other.
In many office areas, the buildings are
positioned in a (parking) field and the
public space is mainly determined by
the car for access and parking. Where
the car is dominant, it is usually not an
attractive place where you want to be.

New urban housing with plinths in the Eastern Docklands

Amsterdam

URBAN RESIDENTIAL STREETS

The street was seen as vacant space between
the buildings.
However this is especially the place where
urban life takes place and which need to be
designed as a domain with attractive facades
and plinths.
The design of the plinth should be a
combination of generous and reserved a
resident needs privacy.
The residents should not hide behind blinds or
curtains in a too big window, or behind a too
small kitchen window.
Borneo-Spoorenburg is a good example of
residential street plinth design.

PLINTH DESIGN APPROACH

The plinth is important for the street profile but also the upper floors: the whole facade
of the building contributes to the vibrancy of a street.
Design should be flexible to accommodate different uses over the years rather than
form follows function.
The plinth design is an architectural challenge: the height of the fl oor, the size and
position of the windows and the entrance, also the level of the ground fl oor is
important

NON-RESIDENTIAL PLINTHS
Most liveliness comes from the plinths with a special function such as a shop, offi ce or
other type of program other than living.
Sometimes these streets are transformed in an extremity: Vibrant but too crowded
during the day, deserted in the evening

PARKING IN FLANDERS

 Fortunately, not all

plinths are
equipped with cosy
storefronts and
restaurant terraces.
It would be
irritating if every
street, without end,
enticed you to buy,
drink and eat,
especially if you are
penniless.
A city also needs
garages, containers,
service entrances,
connections, and
installation spaces

 In Antwerp, Most houses owns two cars while there is ample public transportas
they are alloted two street car parks.
Their garage is then used as store room and hobby or offices for new businesses.
Also, gasoline stations and repair garages in Flemish cities are logically integrated in
the construction line.
Chances are that at an Antwerp crossroads youll find a caf, a shop and a garage,
all on the same corner, all flourishing for years.

CASE STUDY
HAFENCITY: QUARTER AM SANDTORKAI/DALMANNKAI

CONTEXT
Because of its prime, central location in Hamburg, HafenCity has the opportunity to
become an ideal hub for residential, commercial, cultural, and business uses.
A portion of the ports land, located in the heart of Hamburg, was consolidated and
left vacant for decades.
The development of this area was undertaken by HafenCity Hamburg GmbH.

CHALLENGE
HafenCity Hamburg GmbH must produce a new downtown and isintent on creating
an active community with prosperous commercial and business uses as well as
residential and leisure facilities.
On top of that goal, the city should be sustainable, designed well, and most
importantly, lively on the ground levelpast regular business hours.

SOLUTION
From the very beginning, HafenCity set the
ground level development as a high priority.
For each plot, HafenCity Hamburg GmbH
produces a set of criteria that spells out the
specific demands for the site, also particularly
related to the ground level land usage,
design, etc.
The land price of ground floor space is also set
rather low, below offices, sometimes at the
level of residential space, allowing for
commercial diversity.

KEY REASONS FOR SUCCESS:

CREATE ONE COMPLETE CONCEPT: Having
different plot specific concepts for each site.
SEE THE COMMON GOAL AS URBANITY : The
GmbH infused a solid mix of fine grained land
uses in each neighbourhood, guaranteeing high
frequency of ground floor activity.

PROVIDE INFORMATION: About all

neighbouring plots to a developer.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX: The GmbH forced the
investors to think of ground fl oor utilization;
even residential-focused investors must think
about ground fl oor from the beginning.

CONCLUSION:
746 New homes
2700 New jobs
6500 m2 commercial ground fl oor space.

Together with the investors, developers, and

architects, HafenCity Hamburg GmbH advocated
for a well designed and thoughtful ground floor
through their site-specific demands.
They set clear objectives and pushed investors
to think outside their comfort zoneand ended
up with a complete neighbourhood that works

PUBLIC REALM AND USER

 Perception of a city is subjective.

For some people, the crowd in the inner city is just a nuisance because it blocks
their way going from A to B.
Our day to day encounters with the people defines the warmth of a city.
Because of the plinths,we have access to people and their presentation of self.
Plinths not only create a distinctive social experience but also a unique physical one.

SEMI-PUBLIC PLINTHS
Semi-publicspace, is generally located on the ground floor and available to the public at
the owners discretion; the space is owned and managed by the landlord.
You only go in if youre interested to go in, but then youre not really required to
purchase anything.
Permeable and transparent semi-public space blurs the edges and creates borders not
boundaries.
These spaces give reason to enter the plinth, interact with it, and give it activity and
diversity.

Kings place,london

WHY CREATE SEMI-PUBLIC PLINTHS?

Work is not 9-to-5 anymore and theres just as much work going on outside the building
as there is inside. The world of work is changing and were starting to see the
breakdown of barriers.
We now see companies giving up some of their lavish service-oriented ground floors and
let in a cafs, exhibition space and specialist merchandising both for the users of the
buildings and those outside.
Showcase space shows off products and also opens the plinth. Companies recognise the
opportunity of greater transparency and access to semi-public spaces, to represent their
brand, and showcase their products and culture.

HYBRID ZONES

A hybrid zone is the space between the

private and the public domain and is
characterized by a transition between
these two domains.
Streets with well-defined hybrid zones,
such as front yards, appear more pleasant.

PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT

RESTAURANT DAUPHINE

COFFEE COMPANY / FLINDERS

(Meester Treublaan,
Amsterdam)

CITY WITH DOUBLE PLINTHS

Old situation on Grote Marktstraat (1970s)

CITY WITH DOUBLE PLINTHS

New project under construction with double plinth:

Nieuwe Haagse Passage
Architect: Bernard Tschumi.

Monumental department store de

Bijenkorf

HOFBOGEN: A VISION FOR THE IN-BETWEEN PLINTH

MIXED-USE OFFICE PARK

DEVELOPMENTS FROM A
PROPERTY PERSPECTIVE

CASE STUDIES

MEENT,ROTTERDAM

KLARENDAL, Arnhem

OWNERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

KLARENDAL, Arnhem

KLARENDAL, Arnhem