To avoid the pitfall of the single ‘ideal project’, we propose a collection of interventions that focus on a range of issues, from paving proposals to traffic reorganization. Although each intervention has its own strategy and structural impact, all together they share an underlying ambition to enhance the urban heterogeneity of the whole.
The largest interventions concern the multimodal character of the area. Underground and above ground public transport are reorganized and linked to the entrances to the new parking garage, in order to create two hot spots - designed as large scale pavilions - that concentrate as much as possible the urban flows. As a result of this concentration strategy, other parts of the square can be freed up, creating spaces that are quiet and peaceful. The actual Operaplein is such a space. Amidst the urban chaos, a moment of surreal urban beauty is created: a large triangle of water defines a pedestrian zone, occasionally crossed by a seemingly floating tram.