New Town Center
Eschmarke, NL
Location: Eschmarke, NL
Design: 2003
Completion: 2007
Site Footprint: 5000 m2
FSI Netto: 1.0
Gross Floor Area: 5.200 m2
Parking: 93
Program: 27 dwellings, 2.200 m2 shops
Client: ING Vastgoed BV, Den Haag
In association with: S333 Architecture + Urbanism
Structural Engineer: Royal Haskoning
Associates: DAAD Architecten, Beilen
Building Costs: Euro 5.100.000
Like many VINEX-era expansions, Eschmarke—on the outskirts of Enschede—needed a compact town-centre magnet for everyday shopping and community life. The masterplan forms a linear strip of small-scale retail and civic activities, bordered by dense woodland to the west and sports fields to the east. Our project occupies a prominent, visible plot at the northern end of this strip, marking the intersection of Gronausestraat and Eschmarkelaan. Here, the building must work as a recognisable landmark and as an everyday piece of infrastructure: active shops at street level, homes above, and a clear relationship to the surrounding landscape and public routes. Its massing completes the northern edge of the strip and gives the centre a clear address, anchoring arrivals from both streets and the adjacent parking fields.
At first glance, the requirements conflict: retail needs exposure to the two main streets, while housing seeks sunlight and views to the south and west. The small footprint suggests stacking, yet a conventional ‘tower’ is inappropriate for the context, and parking risks creating friction between residents and shoppers. We resolve these tensions in one decisive move by placing private residential parking above the shops. A broad spiralling ramp links street and first-floor level, giving residents direct access by foot, bicycle or car, while shaping a distinctive profile. The ramp continues to private gardens and roof terraces; public parking is distributed around the building and embedded within an integrated landscape strategy. Meanwhile, the shopfronts remain fully street-facing, strengthening footfall and day-to-day urbanity, and supports clear wayfinding.
