Doorkijkpaneel 2. Eerste woonwijk

VIRGIN SAND PLAIN
Only eight years after the drainage of Eastern Flevoland, the Firm T. den Bergen van den Bout from Aerdenhout started spraying sand on the site where Lelystad, the capital of the IJsselmeer polders, will be built. The client is the National Agency for the IJsselmeerpolders. The place name sign 'Lelystad', which was dug in on May 25, 1965, stood alone on an endless, virgin sandy plain. Did they already know that it would become a contemporary, vibrant city with more than 83,000 inhabitants?

FIRST RESIDENTIAL AREA
Lelystad was planned as a city without the disadvantages of a big city, such as little greenery. The housing density per hectare was also low compared to the large cities. Construction of the first houses started in 1966. The district was aptly named 
'Zuiderzeewijk'. A total of 1,166 rental homes were built in the district on behalf of the Housing Association Lelystad. The architect was the National Agency for the IJsselmeerpolders. In the 1960s the rent was around 110 guilders per month.

SPACIOUS, GREEN LAYOUT
The district was given a modern, rectangular structure with a green zone in the middle. The most important facilities, such as primary schools and shops, were located in this green area. The greenery also gave the Zuiderzee district an open and spacious character. In addition, the district had many cycling and walking paths.

MODERN SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES
Mainly single-family homes were built in the Zuiderzee district. To give the neighborhood an urban character, the designers decided to give the houses three floors and a flat roof. The houses were modern and spacious for that time. The houses had a lot of glass at both the front and the back, the so-called doorzon houses. This gave the rooms a lot of light. This was reinforced by the sun-oriented location of backyards and balconies. The houses, garages and sheds were built around courtyards. These courtyards served as a meeting place for the residents.

NEW
The piano houses, single-family homes with a roof terrace on the third floor, were typical. The drive-in homes, new to the Netherlands, had three full floors and an indoor garage on the ground floor. The social housing in Lelystad was also equipped with a new feature. They became the first houses in the Netherlands with central heating.