Amsterdam has gained another beautiful and spacious green square. The Beursplein’s new appearance is based on the original design of Berlage. The elements were restored and placed back at their old locations; the drinking fountains, the bull and the monumental lampposts. Thankfully, the trees on and around the Beursplein were returned as well. At some stage all trees at the square needed to be felled. The roots from the 21 trees had travelled as deep as 12 metres from the trunk and could not be preserved during the construction of a large underground parking for bicycles.

Fifteen trees have returned in the new situation: eight trees of heaven on the square itself and seven elms along the Damrak. The challenge here was to combine the new trees with the underground parking for 1,700 bicycles beneath the Beursplein. This resulted in only very little planting volume being available to the trees. In addition, the Beursplein had to be suitable for heavy loads during festivities and the like, where setting differences and/or pavement lifting by roots is unacceptable. The heavy traffic load and restricted planting volume made it very difficult to create an optimal tree planting space.

After the study of various products contractor KWS opted for the TreeParker tree root bunker system. The only system that guarantees the prevention of pavement lifting by roots and that is also suitable for a restricted planting volume.

In respect of the roots of the trees, TreeBuilders decided to not go for depth but for width. The layer of soil between the underground parking for bicycles and the surface is not that deep. This is why the design was based on a ‘roof garden solution’ for heavy goods transport. The root structure system consists of various parts that are all crucial to the proper functioning of the system now and in the future. Important aspects here are drainage, irrigation and aeration.

It won’t be long until the trees of heaven will once again reach all the way up to heaven thereby restoring the original and intimate character of the Beursplein. The trees that had to be felled were taken away and processed into furniture.