Island

The island is the defining element of the design of Waterfront City. A square piece of city surrounded by water on all sides not only stands out as an icon, it also allows for a rational and efficient design approach for what is perhaps one of the most complex design tasks conceivable.

Image courtesy of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). Please click to enlarge!

In square meters the amount of residential program is equal to the amount of office program. This means that there are a lot more people working on the island than people living there but theoretically it also means that there are as many buildings occupied at day and at night. This guarantees that the city remains lively 24 hours a day. With this balance between office and residential program there will be a substantial amount of people both living and working on the island therefore reducing the overal need for roads and increasing the amount of pedestrian movement.