Amsterdam builds massive bike garage resembling an Apple Store

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion

Bicycle-loving Amsterdam has created an underground bike parking garage that looks directly inspired by the design language of the Apple Store.




The Apple Store's modern aesthetic relies on clean lines and lots of wood on display, producing a warm and inviting retail experience. The typical public parking garage is usually the antithesis of Apple, with dirty concrete, dark corners, dim lighting, and a decidedly utilitarian feel.

In Amsterdam, architects seemed to take inspiration from the former to create an impressive bicycle garage to help solve parking issues in the city. Amsterdam Central Station opened up a pair of garages in early 2023, capable of holding thousands of bicycles.

Sebastiaan de With
Sebastiaan de With



One of two new additions to Amsterdam Central, the Ijboulevard bike garage designed by VenhoevenCS, offers neat rows of bicycle racks, inside a large and long underground construction that is dominated by wood panelling. As shown in photographs by Sebastiaan de With, the facility makes use of curved pieces of wood and smart lighting choices.

The designers have seemingly produced a garage that wouldn't look out of place attached to an Apple Store. Furthering the closeness to the Apple Store, there's also a revolving door that is somewhat reminiscent of the circular hydraulic elevator of the Fifth Avenue Apple Store.

Sebastiaan de With
Sebastiaan de With



The theme of the garage is "water" as aspects of the two garages are built underwater. The second garage exchanges the wood in favor of a much cleaner white appearance, but with elements that hint that the facility is under a river, such as porthole-like ceiling decorations.

Sebastiaan de With
Sebastiaan de With



Despite the extremely upmarket nature of the garages, they are not expensive to use. Since they are intended as a way to reduce the number of bikes stored on streets and help tidy up the roads while encouraging their use, storing a bike at the garages is free for the first 24 hours.

After the first day, the cost is a very reasonables 1.35 euros ($1.48) per day.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    mknelsonmknelson Posts: 1,140member
    I think the author has it backwards. The Apple retail design language was strongly influenced by the northern European simplistic design aesthetic. Wood, solid colours, simple shapes.
    mariowincograndact73ilarynxdewmeavon b7FileMakerFellermayflychasmbaconstangforegoneconclusion
  • Reply 2 of 17
    davebarnesdavebarnes Posts: 374member
    You might have mentioned the capacity of 4,000 bikes.

    StrangeDaysappleinsideruserFileMakerFellermayflywatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 17
    boboliciousbobolicious Posts: 1,164member
    I find myself asking how they will keep the floor clean...?
    mayflywilliamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 17
    mayflymayfly Posts: 385member
    What a great way to drive the use of bicycles for everyday commuting, instead of automobiles. While the Netherlands have always been far ahead of anyone else in bike usage, there's always room to improve. They get a lot of rainy days, so being able to park inside has at least two advantages. You don't get soaked while unlocking your bike, and you don't have to sit on a soaking wet saddle.

    Bike use benefits the planet's ecosystem, too. And it benefits people, too, as they get more and more fit and healthy.

    It's just too bad that America, which overall is moving in the right direction in some cities, political divisions have created anti-bike sentiment in other cities, creating a hazadous climate for cyclists.

    It's only a garage, but making it look stylish and hip worth the extra effort.
    StrangeDayskiltedgreendewmeFileMakerFellerAlex_VBart Ywatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 17
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,322member
    mayfly said:
    What a great way to drive the use of bicycles for everyday commuting, instead of automobiles. While the Netherlands have always been far ahead of anyone else in bike usage, there's always room to improve. They get a lot of rainy days, so being able to park inside has at least two advantages. You don't get soaked while unlocking your bike, and you don't have to sit on a soaking wet saddle.

    Bike use benefits the planet's ecosystem, too. And it benefits people, too, as they get more and more fit and healthy.

    It's just too bad that America, which overall is moving in the right direction in some cities, political divisions have created anti-bike sentiment in other cities, creating a hazadous climate for cyclists.

    It's only a garage, but making it look stylish and hip worth the extra effort.

    100% agree. It looks very modern, and has some very smart design elements. Good job, Amsterdam!

    This is the direction we need to be moving in. The days of driving a large metal (and plastic) box around just to move our own fat "apple" must come to an end.
    kiltedgreendewmemayflyAlex_VBart Ywilliamlondon
  • Reply 6 of 17
    ralphabetralphabet Posts: 11member
    bobolicious said:
    I find myself asking how they will keep the floor clean...?
    I was thinking the same thing... white floors?
    mayflywilliamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 17
    mayflymayfly Posts: 385member
    ralphabet said:
    bobolicious said:
    I find myself asking how they will keep the floor clean...?
    I was thinking the same thing... white floors?
    You've never been to the Netherlands, have you? Next to Scandinavia, it's the cleanest and most hygenic society in northern Europe. Way better than here in America.

    Make no mistake: I don't care which bathroom anyone uses. I just want everyone to wash your hands!
    "You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one…" — J. Lennon
    kiltedgreenFileMakerFellerAlex_VBart Ysphericwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 17
    waveparticlewaveparticle Posts: 1,497member
    mayfly said:
    What a great way to drive the use of bicycles for everyday commuting, instead of automobiles. While the Netherlands have always been far ahead of anyone else in bike usage, there's always room to improve. They get a lot of rainy days, so being able to park inside has at least two advantages. You don't get soaked while unlocking your bike, and you don't have to sit on a soaking wet saddle.

    Bike use benefits the planet's ecosystem, too. And it benefits people, too, as they get more and more fit and healthy.

    It's just too bad that America, which overall is moving in the right direction in some cities, political divisions have created anti-bike sentiment in other cities, creating a hazadous climate for cyclists.

    It's only a garage, but making it look stylish and hip worth the extra effort.
    Have you been to Amsterdam? LOL Its land area is 64.00 sq mi, or 8 mi across. Most of the 921,402 people probably live inside the city. Is it practical to drive auto daily? 
    mayflybaconstangsphericwilliamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 17
    FrankSFrankS Posts: 7member
    Yes it is as amazing as it looks on the pictures but unfortunately there are no charging points anywhere for electric bikes, when needed. This is kind of a huge future proof miss since almost 60% of all new bikes sold last year where e-bikes. 
    FileMakerFellerwilliamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 17
    mayflymayfly Posts: 385member
    waveparticle said:
    mayfly said:
    What a great way to drive the use of bicycles for everyday commuting, instead of automobiles. While the Netherlands have always been far ahead of anyone else in bike usage, there's always room to improve. They get a lot of rainy days, so being able to park inside has at least two advantages. You don't get soaked while unlocking your bike, and you don't have to sit on a soaking wet saddle.

    Bike use benefits the planet's ecosystem, too. And it benefits people, too, as they get more and more fit and healthy.

    It's just too bad that America, which overall is moving in the right direction in some cities, political divisions have created anti-bike sentiment in other cities, creating a hazadous climate for cyclists.

    It's only a garage, but making it look stylish and hip worth the extra effort.
    Have you been to Amsterdam? LOL Its land area is 64.00 sq mi, or 8 mi across. Most of the 921,402 people probably live inside the city. Is it practical to drive auto daily? 
    It's not practical to drive an auto daily anywhere in the world. It's a selfish choice. Either by urban planning which makes commuting by bicycle impossible or dangerous, or geography, or by people who could commute by cycling or mass transportation, but choose to drive.

    But you failed to mention that as part of "nether" (latin for lower) lands, there are no challenging climbs for cyclists. Or the fact that gasoline is $6.48/gallon. In Goteburg, Sweden, the home of Volvo, driving in the city is almost impossible, even in bad weather. There are too many streets that don't allow cars, and the ones that do are almost all one way. There are bike racks in front of every office building, every market, and every train station. And there are thousands upon thousands of bicycles everywhere in town. This is by design, and when we stayed there on a vacation paid for by Volvo (their European delivery option), bicyclists outnumber motorists by probably 20-30:1. Trains are clean, cheap, ubiquitous, and run on electricity. The U.S. is decades behind Amsterdam and most of Scandinavia in sustainable transportation modeling.
    chasmmuthuk_vanalingamBart Ywatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 17
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,511member
    I will be visiting Amsterdam in April, and if I can find it, I’ll grab some pictures of my own of this facility. Of course there’s PLENTY to enjoy in the Netherlands!
    Bart Ymayfly
  • Reply 12 of 17
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,729member
    bobolicious said:
    I find myself asking how they will keep the floor clean...?
    CGI.  
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 17
    Stabitha_ChristieStabitha_Christie Posts: 551member
    FrankS said:
    Yes it is as amazing as it looks on the pictures but unfortunately there are no charging points anywhere for electric bikes, when needed. This is kind of a huge future proof miss since almost 60% of all new bikes sold last year were e-bikes. 
    Really not that big of a deal. E-bikes work even when the battery is drained. So unlike a car they are still usable. Most folks just charge them over night at home so there isn’t a strong need for charging through the day. And  for those that need to the batteries are usually removable so people can take them the off and charge them. 

    Can we come up with hypothetical situations where someone might want to charge their bike in a bike garage? Yes, but those are some outlier situations. 
    mayflysphericwilliamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 17
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,305member
    mayfly said:
    waveparticle said:
    mayfly said:
    What a great way to drive the use of bicycles for everyday commuting, instead of automobiles. While the Netherlands have always been far ahead of anyone else in bike usage, there's always room to improve. They get a lot of rainy days, so being able to park inside has at least two advantages. You don't get soaked while unlocking your bike, and you don't have to sit on a soaking wet saddle.

    Bike use benefits the planet's ecosystem, too. And it benefits people, too, as they get more and more fit and healthy.

    It's just too bad that America, which overall is moving in the right direction in some cities, political divisions have created anti-bike sentiment in other cities, creating a hazadous climate for cyclists.

    It's only a garage, but making it look stylish and hip worth the extra effort.
    Have you been to Amsterdam? LOL Its land area is 64.00 sq mi, or 8 mi across. Most of the 921,402 people probably live inside the city. Is it practical to drive auto daily? 
    It's not practical to drive an auto daily anywhere in the world. It's a selfish choice. Either by urban planning which makes commuting by bicycle impossible or dangerous, or geography, or by people who could commute by cycling or mass transportation, but choose to drive.

    . 
    Not all of us work at home. I work at residential and commercial job sites, and various entertainment venues. Should I pack all my tools into a backpack and ride a bike 15 miles to work? Does that make me selfish?
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 17
    XedXed Posts: 2,822member
    hexclock said:
    mayfly said:
    waveparticle said:
    mayfly said:
    What a great way to drive the use of bicycles for everyday commuting, instead of automobiles. While the Netherlands have always been far ahead of anyone else in bike usage, there's always room to improve. They get a lot of rainy days, so being able to park inside has at least two advantages. You don't get soaked while unlocking your bike, and you don't have to sit on a soaking wet saddle.

    Bike use benefits the planet's ecosystem, too. And it benefits people, too, as they get more and more fit and healthy.

    It's just too bad that America, which overall is moving in the right direction in some cities, political divisions have created anti-bike sentiment in other cities, creating a hazadous climate for cyclists.

    It's only a garage, but making it look stylish and hip worth the extra effort.
    Have you been to Amsterdam? LOL Its land area is 64.00 sq mi, or 8 mi across. Most of the 921,402 people probably live inside the city. Is it practical to drive auto daily? 
    It's not practical to drive an auto daily anywhere in the world. It's a selfish choice. Either by urban planning which makes commuting by bicycle impossible or dangerous, or geography, or by people who could commute by cycling or mass transportation, but choose to drive.

    . 
    Not all of us work at home. I work at residential and commercial job sites, and various entertainment venues. Should I pack all my tools into a backpack and ride a bike 15 miles to work? Does that make me selfish?
    Yeah, it's unreasonable to say that it's a selfish choice if you use a truck or van for work, or commute a certain distance and have to use the highway to get to and from work. The US is a very spread out nation in most areas, with only a few exceptions where large cities are bogged down with traffic that public transportation, biking, and walking often make more sense, but even those areas have no bearing when you have to cart around hundreds of pounds of equipment for your job.
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 17
    mayflymayfly Posts: 385member
    hexclock said:
    mayfly said:
    waveparticle said:
    mayfly said:
    What a great way to drive the use of bicycles for everyday commuting, instead of automobiles. While the Netherlands have always been far ahead of anyone else in bike usage, there's always room to improve. They get a lot of rainy days, so being able to park inside has at least two advantages. You don't get soaked while unlocking your bike, and you don't have to sit on a soaking wet saddle.

    Bike use benefits the planet's ecosystem, too. And it benefits people, too, as they get more and more fit and healthy.

    It's just too bad that America, which overall is moving in the right direction in some cities, political divisions have created anti-bike sentiment in other cities, creating a hazadous climate for cyclists.

    It's only a garage, but making it look stylish and hip worth the extra effort.
    Have you been to Amsterdam? LOL Its land area is 64.00 sq mi, or 8 mi across. Most of the 921,402 people probably live inside the city. Is it practical to drive auto daily? 
    It's not practical to drive an auto daily anywhere in the world. It's a selfish choice. Either by urban planning which makes commuting by bicycle impossible or dangerous, or geography, or by people who could commute by cycling or mass transportation, but choose to drive.

    . 
    Not all of us work at home. I work at residential and commercial job sites, and various entertainment venues. Should I pack all my tools into a backpack and ride a bike 15 miles to work? Does that make me selfish?
    Nope. I failed to account for tradesmen who work onsite. And I just had my kitchen remodeled by tradesmen. Shame on me!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 17
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,305member
    mayfly said:
    hexclock said:
    mayfly said:
    waveparticle said:
    mayfly said:
    What a great way to drive the use of bicycles for everyday commuting, instead of automobiles. While the Netherlands have always been far ahead of anyone else in bike usage, there's always room to improve. They get a lot of rainy days, so being able to park inside has at least two advantages. You don't get soaked while unlocking your bike, and you don't have to sit on a soaking wet saddle.

    Bike use benefits the planet's ecosystem, too. And it benefits people, too, as they get more and more fit and healthy.

    It's just too bad that America, which overall is moving in the right direction in some cities, political divisions have created anti-bike sentiment in other cities, creating a hazadous climate for cyclists.

    It's only a garage, but making it look stylish and hip worth the extra effort.
    Have you been to Amsterdam? LOL Its land area is 64.00 sq mi, or 8 mi across. Most of the 921,402 people probably live inside the city. Is it practical to drive auto daily? 
    It's not practical to drive an auto daily anywhere in the world. It's a selfish choice. Either by urban planning which makes commuting by bicycle impossible or dangerous, or geography, or by people who could commute by cycling or mass transportation, but choose to drive.

    . 
    Not all of us work at home. I work at residential and commercial job sites, and various entertainment venues. Should I pack all my tools into a backpack and ride a bike 15 miles to work? Does that make me selfish?
    Nope. I failed to account for tradesmen who work onsite. And I just had my kitchen remodeled by tradesmen. Shame on me!
    No worries. I’ve enjoyed reading your posts on various threads lately. 
    watto_cobramayfly
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