De gele draad, the yellow thread, is an urban design proposal for the area surrounding the original Veerhavens along the Maas river in the Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The current courtyard structure and its adjacent historic buildings hold an important heritage value for the city of Rotterdam – this area is one of the few intact after the world war II bombings. However, the potential of these court yards haven’t been fully explored and utilized in the recent decades. The courtyards are invisible to the eyes of passing people, overgrown and abandoned behind walls and fences.
Taking inspiration from industrial port infrastructure, this proposal introduces a literal yellow thread which lights up at night due to a fluorescent coating. It opens up these enclosed court yards and invites both locals and visitors to explore historic inner city grounds. The thread and its entrees transform the former unused, concrete areas into peaceful, recreational spaces by reorganizing car parking, creating (water) bassins, introducing street art and adding greenery.
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