Damsterdiep is a square in Groningen’s city centre, along the old route of the channel between Groningen and Delfzijl. The arrival of an office building and a parking garage for approximately 550 vehicles necessitated a new arrangement of this central area. karres+brands designed the public space with a flexible layout and pedestrian routes as the primary motif.

The square adds a new type of public space to the many squares that enrich the city of Groningen. It is an empty space that makes various layouts possible, responding to various forms of use and programming. Besides the square, karres+brands designed sculptural flower bowls and tree planters, allowing the trees and vegetation to become movable components that give greater flexibility to the square. The oversized flower bowls with edges for sitting can be moved, added, or removed entirely. The movable planting elements lend the square the possibility to have a strong green character, or simply be an open space where a small event can take place. The vegetation forms a canopy of leaves, a long row, or a shady cluster—depending on the arrangement of the planters.