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Welcome on this site on the new domain kattenbroek.info.
This site now exist about 10 years. It is pure hobby, interest and not commercial. Most of the pictures are taken by Harry Puts.
The pages and navigation are simple of construction. Suggestions are always welcome.

The Challenge of Kattenbroek

Conspicuous, daring and fancyful, awful, a funfair, Disneyland. A few pronouncements on Kattenbroek, Amersfoort’ s spectaculair new quarter.
the Ring
Ashok Balotra, designer of the urban development has said that the project must result in ’ a healthy, cheerful and safe neighbourhood, in which people feel at home and get the itch to start dreaming’ . He has achieved his aim! This can be gathered from the numerous TV-films and commercials with Kattenbroek in the background or from the number of visitors from Holland and abroad, but also from the extensive TV-coverage and the articles that keep appearing in newspapers and magazines.
ruïne-houses
It has been tried to retain as much possible of the original landscape in Kattenbroek. In Balotra’ s plan we recognize the structure and the sense of security of the old (medieval) town-centre of Amersfoort. Balotra departs from certain themes: the main thems ’ travelling and staying at home’ and ’ the four seasons’ have been worked out and result in the main structure of the project.
The Court Lane (Laan der Hoven) and the Hidden Zone (Verborgen Zone) represent journeys of discovery to unknown and hidden destinations. The Avenue of Gardens symbolizes summer and the Hidden Zone symbolizes the spring.
Forming a circle, the Ring represents being at home, the collective identity of Kattenbroek. The old centre of Amersfoort fits exactly into the circumference of the Ring.
The Mask (Het Masker) symbolizes anonymity, the decor as well as the face of the area. The Creek (de Kreek) symbolizes romance and the irrational. Derived from these are the themes such as The Field in Autumn (het Herfstveld), the Avenue of Bridges (Bruggensingel) with the Bridge-houses, the Farm house Chamber (Boerderijenkamer), the Silent Alley (Stille Steeg), the Swamp Zone (Moeraszone), the Closed City (Gesloten Stad) and the Wintergardens (Wintertuinen).

The Mask In all 4600 houses have been build here, all of them easily distinguishable. You’ ave not likely to lose your way in Kattenbroek. There is an enormous diversity in colours, forms and materials being used. The residents are all proud of their houses and area. To put in briefly, Kattenbroek is certainly worth a visit.
Photo’ s: respectively Villa Panorama, Ruïne-house (Ruïnewoningen), The Mask.

You can reach Kattenbroek by the A1 motorway, the Amersfoort-Noord exit. Signposts show you the way.

In the book of photographs (see the link in the table below) you will find an overall survey of all the pictures on this site. There is a page on art and some more in-depth information about various aspects of Kattenbroek. Follow the links in the menu.

Click on the photo, to enlarge it          .