Amsterdam | Bicycle Architecture Biennale

The world’s first international Bicycle Architecture Biennale - a showcase of outstanding built environment solutions around cycling - takes place in Amsterdam on 17 June 2017. The event - organized by leading cycling innovation agency CycleSpace - will celebrate the cutting edge and high profile building designs that are facilitating bicycle travel, storage and safety around the world.

The biennale is being launched in Amsterdam in recognition of the city’s leading status for prioritizing cycling travel and forms one of the breakout events as part of the global cycling conference Velo-City. The biennale aims to reflect how cycling can improve urban living and how design solutions can not only meet transit needs but can also inspire and facilitate greater cycling uptake.

The designs profiled at the biennale have been curated by Professor Steven Fleming, whose new book Velotopia about bicycle architecture is out this month. The biennale will show off the work of 14 international designers, from all corners of the globe. Amongst the designs selected are The West Village Basis Yard apartment complex in Chengdu by Jiakun Architects, where cyclists can ride from their tenth floor apartments all the way down to the ground, SkyCycle, a controversial and largely misunderstood proposal from Foster + Partners to build new buildings for cyclists in the airspace above London’s train lines, and Hassell Architects’ Medibank Building in Melbourne with its spiraling bike ramp inside the main atrium.

The biennale takes place at the Zuiveringshal in Amsterdam’s Westerpark and will be open to delegates attending Velo-City. The show will then go on public display, details of which will be announced on the biennale website www.bab2017.org. A limited number of public tickets for the biennale are also available by emailing connect@cyclespace.org. The biennale is being supported by the building firm BAM, and it is one of a number of international programs organized by CycleSpace, which also initiated the global Bicycle Mayor network. The first Bicycle Mayor summit takes place a few days before the biennale - also in Amsterdam - on 10 and 11 June.

Image: Chongming Bicycle Park / JDS Architects. Image Courtesy of CycleSpace