This square that is currently under construction will be an important link between the train station and the city centre of Delft. Its name, which means wood garden, comes from the former function of this area. In the 17th century, Delft imported “Nordic” wood from Scandinavia as building material. In the Houttuinen, a green-lined timber yard outside the city wall, the timber was left to dry (image below, bottom right).

In line with the collaborative developments in this area, the municipality conducted a survey in february 2021 to let the public vote for their favourite square design. The offices that competed were BOOM Landscape, Karres en Brands and LODEWIJK BALJON Landscape Architects. The design from BOOM Landscape has won, with the title ‘The garden of Delft’.

The canal next to it, on the Phoenixstraat, was created in the same spot where there used to be a canal hundreds of years ago. This was possible after the railroad was laid underground, which changed the atmosphere of the area from industrial to city centre.

Brain Teaser
Look at the photo of how the street used to look. Discuss the direct changes of the removal of the railroad aboveground, but also think about longer term changes, such as a better connection between both sides of where the train tracks used to be, which could have been a catalyst for urban development on the non-center side of the railroad.

Sources
Dekker, J. (2021, April 2). Denk mee over het Houttuinenplein! – Nieuw Delft. Nieuw Delft. https://nieuwdelft.nl/denk-mee-over-het-houttuinenplein/