You know what’s overrated? Sunlight. That’s why we were excited by Amsterdam’s decision to spend $US14.4 billion to build a giant underground city in the Dutch capital. But what happened?
Back in 2008, architects developed the radical plan as an attempt to deal with the massive parking and development problems faced by the city. It would see the city’s canals drained in order to construct the underground labyrinth. Once dug out, the underground complex would house parking, cinemas, sports stadiums cables, ducts and supply facilities.
The AMFORA plan was presented to the Enlightened Underground International Congress in Amsterdam by engineers Strukton and architects Zwarts & Jansma as a radical solution to the shortage of development sites within Amsterdam.
Through a system of underground spaces with entry and exit points along Amsterdam’s A10 ring road, a range of underground facilities would be created at various levels below the city. These would include parking garages, sports facilities, cinemas, cables and ducts and supply facilities. The plan, it is claimed, devotes a great deal of attention to the underground experience and architecture. However the scheme does not appear to include any form of public transportation.
It wasn’t a universally loved idea, obviously, but had it been approved, could have created an amazing tourist destination or a superb underground lair for an evil mastermind.