This Pavilion Brings Leisure and Green to a Carpark Rooftop

DeDAKKAS is bringing hospitality, green and a great city view to the rooftop of a parking lot in the center of Haarlem. Just 30 kilometers away from Amsterdam, this rooftop pavilion provides the space for bites, drinks, and activities, every day of the year.

DeDAKKAS (Dutch for ‘rooftop greenhouse’) began in 2014, when founder Dennis stood on the rooftop of the parking garage and envisioned a hospitality pavilion, with an outdoor terrace and a city park. Soon, co-founders Victor and Jeroen joined the project, bringing their expertise in hospitality and catering together. Their idea was made possible through a crowdfunding campaign and has become strongly embedded in Haarlem’s leisure landscape ever since.

Today, DeDAKKAS is a popular hotspot in Haarlem and one of the few rooftops in the Netherlands with a consistent program, making DeDAKKAS is a great example of rooftop activation. The place can be visited daily and offers a broad range of activities such as yoga, children activities, and open air cinema. The rooftop park will soon emerge on the rooftop as well.

But more than that, DeDAKKAS shows that higher spaces such as rooftops can offer more opportunities than what they are often being used for, and some city activists are noticing it. Are the cities of the futures going to provide with top public spaces? Are rooftops waiting for our visions to be stimulated?