As project manager Evert Verhagen was responsible for the complete development of Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek between 1990 and 2005. He worked with his project team on the development and the execution of the transformation strategy of the site.

In 1992 the site of the Westergasfabriek was handed down by the municipal energy company of Amsterdam (GEB) to the Westerpark District. As project manager he worked with all parties involved to give the park a new cultural function. While the final destination of the site still had to be decided upon, it was given a temporary cultural function in 1992. This made people visit the site before it was even finished. In 1996 the intended main tenant of the site backed out, making the temporary cultural function permanent.

The development of the Culturepark Westergasfabriek was not a linear process. Things like cleaning up the site’s soil and renovating the buildings on the site required continuous readjusting of the strategy and most of all an open mind. In this case, the direction of the journey was clear, but the end goal was not cast in stone.

Today, Culturepark Westergasfabriek functions as an inspiring example of a successful transformation project.

If you want to know more about Westergasfabriek there is a lot of information available.
You can always contact me on the process of the transformation of the site. Before you start to ask for an interview please read some of the stuff and have a look at the websites.

The Strategy plan we developed in 1996 maybe the most important document. Sorry but it’s only in Dutch. Ontwikkelingsnota Westergasfabriek

Here is the book that Olaf Koekebakker wrote on the process of Creating Westergasfabriek.
It has loads of information in it. No pictures, only the English text.

Here is the article on Westerpark that was printed in the magazine of the American Landscape Architects Association ASLA MAGAZINE November 2004

Don’t forget to take a look at the present day website of Westergasfabriek to find out that everything we did to regenerate the site, save the buildings to restaore them and realize a park a complete process that all together took more than 15 years and costed more than 100 million euros is as easily forgotten to even mention:
Culture park Westergasfabriek