Saturday, 20 November 2021

Bicycle Garage The Hague provides 8,000 cyclists with room to park in "museum-like" space

A man cycling next to a bike rack

Dutch design studio Silo has completed one of the world's largest parking garages for bicycles, with nearly 8,000 underground parking spots next to a busy railway station.

Silo worked in collaboration with Studio Marsman to create the public garage in front of The Hague Central Station in the Netherlands.

A man cycling through Bicycle Garage the Hague
Bicycle Garage The Hague is an underground parking facility in The Hague

"What if a functional underground space, rather than being a place you want to avoid, becomes an attraction not to be missed?" Silo's creative director Rene Toneman told Dezeen.

"We wanted to enhance the comfort and safety for the thousands of daily users, bringing the experience of cycling through the city into the interior."

A cyclist riding their bike in Bicycle Garage the Hague
There are almost 8,000 parking spaces for bikes inside

Recognising that cycling has taken on new importance in recent years, due to growing climate concerns and the coronavirus pandemic, Silo hopes that Bicycle Garage The Hague provides cyclists with a "comfortable and safe" parking environment.

Cyclists enter the garage through a main entrance, which is designed to mirror the facade of a building above ground.

Red and silver bike parking spaces
The studio referenced museum design for the garage

While still riding, they can travel through the garage along an interior bike lane that runs along the length of the space. Spots to park bikes are positioned in rows in the middle of the garage.

The single-storey parking facility is designed to look and feel like a museum, with bright lighting and spatial cues to match.

"Low ceilings, a lack of daylight, repetitive layout and no views of the surroundings make underground parking usually very unpleasant," explained Toneman.

"The parking garage in The Hague has been designed to completely transform this essential service by creating an unexpected and exceptional spatial experience."

Bicycle Garage the Hague by Silo
Rail commuters can store their bikes securely on metal racks

The space also features a long graphic mural featuring geometric shapes and patterns in a grey hue.

According to the designers, this illustration reflects the bright lights in the garage, making the room feel bigger.

A man and woman cylce in Bicycle Garage the Hague
A grey graphic installation runs the length of the garage

"The integrated application of light and experiential graphic design make the facility appear more spacious," Toneman said.

"The angle of light in the illustration matches the actual light behind it, dramatically enhancing the appearance of depth."

Bicycle Garage the Hague by Silo
Users access the underground space via a series of escalators

Bicycle Parking The Hague is shortlisted in the civic and cultural interior category and the graphic design category of Dezeen Awards 2021.

Other shortlisted projects in this category include Kengo Kuma Associates' mesh curtain for Casa Batlló and a wide-beam barge designed to look like a floating church.

The photography is by Mike Bink.

The post Bicycle Garage The Hague provides 8,000 cyclists with room to park in "museum-like" space appeared first on Dezeen.



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