New Kijkduin
'New Kijkduin has high fun factor, but remains cosy'
There is something magical about Kijkduin, thinks Roeland Voerman. With his company FRED Developers, he is rebuilding the family seaside resort from scratch. "Every square centimetre has to be right," he says.
DATE
27 December 2021
TEXT
Jasper Gramsma
IMAGE
Fleur Beemster (portrait) and PR
New Kijkduin
'New Kijkduin has high fun factor, but remains cosy'
There is something magical about Kijkduin, thinks Roeland Voerman. With his company FRED Developers, he is rebuilding the family seaside resort from scratch. "Every square centimetre has to be right," he says.
Tr still under construction on four of the seven residential towers, but food court Daily Taste Kijkduin, the beating heart of New Kijkduin, is already fully up and running. Pontifically perched on the paved passage is an olive-green Citroen HY bus, a retro coffee truck. At one of the little tables next to it, Roeland Voerman (1967) enjoys his americano.
At foodcourt Daily Taste Kijkduin, you can find every kind of shopping imaginable.
The managing director of FRED Developers, developer of this 'resort 2.0', can be found here a few times a week. He looks around contentedly. "I love architecture - my grandfather was an architect," he explains. "Designing and visualising is nice, but walking around here is even nicer. It really will be the family seaside resort we envisioned."
Kijkduin
From the big picture to the smallest detail, Voerman gets involved in everything and doesn't let go. "Down to nagging level, so to speak," he laughs. Then more seriously: "Every square centimetre has to be right. After all, we as the developer are in this project for the long term and we are carrying it alone so far."
'From such a crisis, you become grey and bald'
His connection with Kijkduin goes way back. "My parents-in-law lived around the corner, so I used to come here regularly with the children. Despite the outdated buildings, even back then Kijkduin had something magical, call it an autonomous attraction." Voerman is not alone in this opinion: four million people visit the seaside resort every year. "As a real estate man, I saw a wonderful challenge in this."
Hotel NH Atlantic
In 2008, plans were ready for an area development, including the adjacent Hotel NH Atlantic and the Star flats behind it. And then: economic crisis. "The other parties dropped out, so we continued in silence," says Voerman, who does not let setbacks get him down. Pointing to his head: "Such a crisis makes you grey and bald, but you learn a lot.
And time also does its work in the end; I am convinced it has made the plan better." According to the entrepreneur, this is particularly in the hospitality and retail offerings. "Before, we were mainly in the fashion corner. Now we have established a good base of daily amenities to build on. That determines a large part of the success."
'Kijkduin's catchment area has grown tremendously'
A decade later than planned, the shovel finally went into the ground. The tide turned and even before construction started, all flats from the first phase had been sold. "That rarely happens. It says something about the Kijkduin brand, but also about the huge need for housing which we are largely meeting with the construction of 280 flats and soon another 140 next to the hotel."
Standing pontifically on the paved passage is an olive-green Citroen HY bus, a retro coffee truck.
Rental of the total 14,000 square metres of commercial space - double that of the old Kijkduin - is picking up fast after corona. "Don't forget that in the meantime a lot of housing has been added, such as in Vroondaal, so the catchment area of Kijkduin has grown enormously," explains Voerman.
'While shopping you can go to the beach to eat a burger'
In the course of 2023, the seaside resort will be completely finished, but for seaside shopping you can already go to New Kijkduin. Daily Taste gives the feel of a 'fresh yard of yesteryear' with the baker, butcher, greengrocer, fishmonger and cheese-monger of yesteryear. And with a branch of the Sushi Girls, a Coop supermarket and The Wine Bar, the place is unmistakably 'now'. Especially since modern materials like wood and black steel have been implemented throughout the interior.
Roeland Voerman: 'Walking around here is more beautiful than designing.'
"While shopping, you can have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, or go to the beach to eat a burger. That makes for a huge fun factor," Voerman said. "There will be a wide range, from small shops to a HEMA, but it won't be overkill. It will remain cosy."
'An integral seaside resort has been established here, you don't see that anywhere else in the Netherlands'
The combination of 'living, shopping and recreation by the sea on this small scale' is what the developer calls 'unique' about New Kijkduin. "An integral seaside resort has been created here, you won't see that anywhere else in the Netherlands. And we offer something for everyone: at Pavarotti on the promenade you can get an affordable, classic Italian menu and a bit further on you will soon find a high-quality counterpart. This is emphatically not a luxury resort, it is and will remain a broad family resort."
Instagram studio
Then Voerman got up to show Bella's Ice and Candy Store, an initiative of his daughter Annebelle. "She had to make a business plan for school and we executed it here," he explains. The colourful ice cream parlour is a work of art in itself.
Sticky Pump by Studio Job serves as a holder for the straws at Bella's Ice and Candy Store.
From the bronze-coloured cash register to the waffle-seated Mies van der Rohe chairs, everything was designed by Job Smeets, family friend and front man of the world-renowned design firm Studio Job. "It's basically one big Instagram studio," says father Voerman. "We want to do a lot with art in the outdoor space as well. There was a lot of commotion about a design Job made for the Kijkduin lighthouse. And that's fine: they're better to dick about your bike than the other way round, my father always said."
New Babylon
Although Voerman lives in Amsterdam, The Hague is a special place for him. "The city has a lot of potential and is catching up much better than other cities - there are more opportunities here," he says. Among other things, his firm signed on to redevelop New Babylon, one of the largest projects in the Netherlands at 450 million euros. "That was a complex inner-city project.
Proud
What I am also really proud of is the Anna van Buerenplein in front of Leiden University. There we have added a whole new function to the station area."
And so now there is New Kijkduin, after many years of planing and waiting. "You have to be patient in this business. And what I said: time eventually does its work too."
text Jasper Gramsma image Fleur Beemster (portrait) and PR
Tr still under construction on four of the seven residential towers, but food court Daily Taste Kijkduin, the beating heart of New Kijkduin, is already fully up and running. Pontifically perched on the paved passage is an olive-green Citroen HY bus, a retro coffee truck. At one of the little tables next to it, Roeland Voerman (1967) enjoys his americano.
At foodcourt Daily Taste Kijkduin, you can find every kind of shopping imaginable.
The managing director of FRED Developers, developer of this 'resort 2.0', can be found here a few times a week. He looks around contentedly. "I love architecture - my grandfather was an architect," he explains. "Designing and visualising is nice, but walking around here is even nicer. It really will be the family seaside resort we envisioned."
Kijkduin
From the big picture to the smallest detail, Voerman gets involved in everything and doesn't let go. "Down to nagging level, so to speak," he laughs. Then more seriously: "Every square centimetre has to be right. After all, we as the developer are in this project for the long term and we are carrying it alone so far."
'From such a crisis, you become grey and bald'
His connection with Kijkduin goes way back. "My parents-in-law lived around the corner, so I used to come here regularly with the children. Despite the outdated buildings, even back then Kijkduin had something magical, call it an autonomous attraction." Voerman is not alone in this opinion: four million people visit the seaside resort every year. "As a real estate man, I saw a wonderful challenge in this."
Hotel NH Atlantic
In 2008, plans were ready for an area development, including the adjacent Hotel NH Atlantic and the Star flats behind it. And then: economic crisis. "The other parties dropped out, so we continued in silence," says Voerman, who does not let setbacks get him down. Pointing to his head: "Such a crisis makes you grey and bald, but you learn a lot.
And time also does its work in the end; I am convinced it has made the plan better." According to the entrepreneur, this is particularly in the hospitality and retail offerings. "Before, we were mainly in the fashion corner. Now we have established a good base of daily amenities to build on. That determines a large part of the success."
'Kijkduin's catchment area has grown tremendously'
A decade later than planned, the shovel finally went into the ground. The tide turned and even before construction started, all flats from the first phase had been sold. "That rarely happens. It says something about the Kijkduin brand, but also about the huge need for housing which we are largely meeting with the construction of 280 flats and soon another 140 next to the hotel."
Standing pontifically on the paved passage is an olive-green Citroen HY bus, a retro coffee truck.
Rental of the total 14,000 square metres of commercial space - double that of the old Kijkduin - is picking up fast after corona. "Don't forget that in the meantime a lot of housing has been added, such as in Vroondaal, so the catchment area of Kijkduin has grown enormously," explains Voerman.
'While shopping you can go to the beach to eat a burger'
In the course of 2023, the seaside resort will be completely finished, but for seaside shopping you can already go to New Kijkduin. Daily Taste gives the feel of a 'fresh yard of yesteryear' with the baker, butcher, greengrocer, fishmonger and cheese-monger of yesteryear. And with a branch of the Sushi Girls, a Coop supermarket and The Wine Bar, the place is unmistakably 'now'. Especially since modern materials like wood and black steel have been implemented throughout the interior.
Roeland Voerman: 'Walking around here is more beautiful than designing.'
"While shopping, you can have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, or go to the beach to eat a burger. That makes for a huge fun factor," Voerman said. "There will be a wide range, from small shops to a HEMA, but it won't be overkill. It will remain cosy."
'An integral seaside resort has been established here, you don't see that anywhere else in the Netherlands'
The combination of 'living, shopping and recreation by the sea on this small scale' is what the developer calls 'unique' about New Kijkduin. "An integral seaside resort has been created here, you won't see that anywhere else in the Netherlands. And we offer something for everyone: at Pavarotti on the promenade you can get an affordable, classic Italian menu and a bit further on you will soon find a high-quality counterpart. This is emphatically not a luxury resort, it is and will remain a broad family resort."
Instagram studio
Then Voerman got up to show Bella's Ice and Candy Store, an initiative of his daughter Annebelle. "She had to make a business plan for school and we executed it here," he explains. The colourful ice cream parlour is a work of art in itself.
Sticky Pump by Studio Job serves as a holder for the straws at Bella's Ice and Candy Store.
From the bronze-coloured cash register to the waffle-seated Mies van der Rohe chairs, everything was designed by Job Smeets, family friend and front man of the world-renowned design firm Studio Job. "It's basically one big Instagram studio," says father Voerman. "We want to do a lot with art in the outdoor space as well. There was a lot of commotion about a design Job made for the Kijkduin lighthouse. And that's fine: they're better to dick about your bike than the other way round, my father always said."
New Babylon
Although Voerman lives in Amsterdam, The Hague is a special place for him. "The city has a lot of potential and is catching up much better than other cities - there are more opportunities here," he says. Among other things, his firm signed on to redevelop New Babylon, one of the largest projects in the Netherlands at 450 million euros. "That was a complex inner-city project.
Proud
What I am also really proud of is the Anna van Buerenplein in front of Leiden University. There we have added a whole new function to the station area."
And so now there is New Kijkduin, after many years of planing and waiting. "You have to be patient in this business. And what I said: time eventually does its work too."
