Zernike Square is the beating heart of the Zernike Campus: many people gather here. By bus, car, bicycle or on foot. In recent months, the square has been thoroughly renovated by contractor Koninklijke Oosterhof Holman. The roadway and the bicycle / pedestrian path have been renewed, but the rest of the square is still waiting for the development of some innovations. The square will be completed in the summer of 2021.

At the moment there is a temporary traffic situation in which cyclists merge with car traffic on the roadway. In the new situation, more square will be added and there will be a better connection to the cycle paths. The cyclists then drive behind the bus stops, which separates the traffic flows more.

Functional planters

Large planters will be placed on the square to provide natural guidance for cyclists and a clear crossing for pedestrians. There will be no pedestrian crossing, because the maximum speed is 30 km / h. These flower boxes act as benches at the same time. As a result, Zernikeplein will soon be a nice place to stay. Over a hundred trees have been planted along Zernikelaan in the past two weeks. This contributes to the quality of stay, giving the atmosphere and appearance of the Zernike Campus a boost.

Stand Willem Alexander Sports Complex

On the outside of the restaurant in the Willem Alexander Sports Complex, a grandstand will be realized where visitors to the campus will soon be able to enjoy a pleasant stay outside. In front of it there will be a field for outdoor sports. This field is freely accessible to everyone. Design agency West8 came up with a basic idea for the stand, which was further developed in collaboration with Hanze University of Applied Sciences and FARSK architects.

Els Bijlholt, Zernike Campus advisor at Hanze University of Applied Sciences, explains: “The grandstand is for everyone, whether you like sports or not. It is a nice extension of the restaurant to drink your coffee and eat a sandwich outside. And if you want, you can do the world championship climbing stairs!"

The work on the Zernikeplein are part of the project Upgrade Zernikelaan.

Source article and pictures: municipality of Groningen