After participating in a European call for tenders, the architects ZJA - together with four other firms - were invited to give a presentation for the public transport company of Amsterdam.

We were asked to develop a vision regarding several aspects of the new north/south line of the underground railway, and to make a preliminary sketch for the underground station Rokin.

This station was to be combined with an underground car park. The size of the available terrain, in combination with the wish to leave the ground level undisturbed as much as possible, turned out to be the biggest problem in the design. This is why, for instance, the car park was opened up via lifts, rather than via ramps. Thus, the ground level was kept undamaged, and orderly, socially safe spaces came into existence. These spaces were characterised by a great deal of glass, good sight lines between the different spaces, and a maximum amount of daylight.