The Fietsflat is a 3-storey free-to-use public bicycle parking facility in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

. It is located on Stationseiland island next to

Amsterdam Central Station Amsterdam Centraal Station ( nl, italic=no, Station Amsterdam Centraal ; abbreviation: Asd) is the largest railway station in Amsterdam, North Holland, the Netherlands. A major international railway hub, it is used by 192,000 passengers a day, ...

and can accommodate 2500

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bic ...

s. The name is derived from ''fiets'' (bicycle) and ''flat'', an originally

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

word which the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

use to denote multi-level

apartment complex An apartment (American English), or flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that occupies part of a building, generally on a single story. There are ...

es.

History

Alderman of Traffic and Transport of the City of Amsterdam Frank Köhler opened the Fietsflat on 5 April 2001. The bike parking facility was designed to be only temporary, needed during construction works around the Central Station area. It was to be closed in 2004, but kept open due to high demand of parking spaces. New proposals to close the structure in 2009 failed as well. In summer of 2017 the structure underwent renovations. The Fietsflat closed in January 2023, after an underground bicycle parking garage with the capacity of 7,000 bicycles, was opened on the front side of the station. The flat was not demolished, but kept in reserve. It could be opened again, if it takes too long to construct the newest east side garage, with a capacity of 8,800 bicycles plus 450 OV-fietsen.

Design

The Fietsflat was designed by VMX Architecten. The structure is 100 metres long, 14 metres wide and 3 storeys tall. Because the facility is so long and high,

bicycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, Physical exercise, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bike ...

is permitted throughout. During the design process the designers had to keep a couple of strict preconditions in mind. The structure could not damage or otherwise penetrate the then newly renovated

quay A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring location ...

on which is resides. Also the canal boats had to be able to still make their turns in the Open Havenfront basin. To meet security needs the structure has been designed as transparently as possible. The floors are inclined, which helps to keep unwanted people out because it is not comfortable to stay in for a longer amount of time. To ensure safety there is security personnel on site 24/7. The design was nominated for the NAi Architectuurprijs award in 2001.

Expansion

There were plans to build a second, identical, Fietsflat on the IJ side of Amsterdam Central Station due to open September 2006. In April of the same year, the

City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

did not approve of the 4 million euro budget. They opted for more flexible, faster and cheaper solutions with temporary parking spots on several locations, including pontoons and

ferries A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water tax ...

. In 2014 the City approved a large new underground bicycle parking facility underneath the Open Havenfront at

Prins Hendrikkade Prins Hendrikkade (Dutch language, Dutch for "Prince Henry's Quay") is a major street in the centre of Amsterdam. It passes Amsterdam Centraal station, Amsterdam Central Station, intersects the Damrak at the mouth of the Amstel river, and forms th ...

, right opposite the Fietsflat. In 2017 the City approved a large new underground garage in the IJ at the backside of Centraal Station. The underwater bicycle parking station at Prins Hendrikkade, which was opened in January 2023, has 7.000 parking spots, and by 2030 there will be a total 21,500 parking spots around Amsterdam Central Station.In Dutch: Centrum voor Ondergronds Bouwen en ondergronds ruimtegebruik: De Verdieping, september 2016
Onderwaterfietsenstalling bij Amsterdam CS
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References

{{reflist Bicycle parking Buildings and structures in Amsterdam Cycling in Amsterdam Cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands Transport buildings and structures in the Netherlands