In 1996 Vondel Park was granted the status of National Monument. Since that time, the district of Amsterdam Old South has been working on restoration plans for the park. In 2000 a report on the park failed to receive the approval of the committee that enforces regulations on the appearance of buildings: the proposed plan did not satisfy the demands that should be made of this monumental park. Landscape architects M. van Gessel (CE) , and landscape historian Erik de Jong were asked to help interpret the history of the design of Vondel Park, both in situ and with the use of historical documentation. They were expected to supervise the process in such a way that a new proposal could be submitted as soon as possible.
The job consisted mainly of creating order in the approach to 1) the history of the park and 2) to the object in situ. One problem was an architecture firm that saw the park primarily as nature, a place to be enriched ecologically, and not as a construct of nature with its own specific demands. The first decision made was to refer to a renovation paired with sustainable management for the future rather than to a restoration, even though this terminology also proved to be unclear. After all, returning the park to its original 19th-century state is impossible. Furthermore, Vondel Park is just as much a 20th-century park as it is a 19th-century park: contributing to this fact throughout the past hundred years have been the way in which the park has been managed and the changes it has experienced in use, appearance and function. With respect to the historical significance, the park should remain accessible to both present and future generations. This demands an inventive approach. A sophisticated design and a well-considered use of material are needed to create a park better able to withstand wear and tear and a park capable of going for longer periods without a need for a major overhaul or replacement. In other words, high-level maintenance. In the renovation plan for Vondel Park, the district has given thought to all these aspects.
In so doing, history is explored in terms of calibrated moments. The history of Vondel Park can be read in three layers. These moments are:
The year 1896 – Vondel Park shortly after its creation
The year 1959 – the park following the first major renovation
The year 1996 – Vondel Park granted the status of National Monument
On the basis of these calibrated moments, those involved looked at the present state of affairs and decided to keep in mind the three aforementioned phases in renovating the park. This meant respecting 19th-century elements (restoring views and perspectives), while also respecting, maintaining and taking as a starting point the spaciousness of the 1959 renovation. They tried, too, to clearly indicate the present renovation phase in their plans.
The result of all this was an extensive report.