The new creative hotspot on the Waal
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The NYMA site has been designated as a place for creative makers, events, festivals and everything in between. A new urban destination defined by energy and activity. Studio D was commissioned to develop a spatial development strategy and development plan to transform the NYMA site into an attractive place for visitors and entrepreneurs.
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How do you transform a closed industrial site into a vibrant urban space for creativity, experimentation and encounter?
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Located along the Waal, the area owes its rich, layered history to its industrial past. At the scale of the city, it forms part of a sequence of stepping stones that connect the site to Nijmegen’s city centre.
The strategy focuses on the site’s organic development by leaving room for the unknown, for experimentation and temporary uses, while also accommodating more permanent programmes.
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Our approach is rooted in what already exists, with an eye for future transformative capacity. The unique position between river and city, the strong industrial architecture and the site’s raw character formed the starting point. We designed a spatial structure that activates existing qualities and connects new ones. The plan plays with contrast: between nature and culture, inside and outside, old and new. Within this framework, space emerges for a diverse mix of programmes, ranging from urban sports to studios, from events to public space along the Waal.
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From an industrialised world to a vibrant place for creative thinkers
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NYMA demonstrates that redevelopment can be more than the transformation of buildings alone. It is about shaping an ecology of use, ownership and spatial cohesion. Hard surfaces have been reduced to a functional minimum. Green roofs, permeable ground surfaces and a green perimeter provide cooling, biodiversity and water retention. With the principle ‘Made in NYMA’, circularity is central: reusing materials, preserving characterful structures and leveraging local craftsmanship and entrepreneurship.
The NYMA site is the result of a unique synergy between the municipality, two developers and numerous local entrepreneurs. Together, they pursue what best serves the city.
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Throughout all layers of the design process, collaboration with stakeholders and the sharing of knowledge, at both small and large scales, were actively sought. The factory functions as a flexible and evolving infrastructure to support and facilitate this development.
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The clear urban design vision helped us shape the transformation of the NYMA site in a creative way.
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