Peter
Veenstra
Founding Partner & Senior Landscape Architect
Landscape architect and co-founder of LOLA Landscape Architects in Rotterdam and Shenzhen. Peter Veenstra leads many international design and research projects and is active as a guest lecturer and co-curator. In design projects, he strives to turn innovative ideas into achievable designs.
Even though LOLA is an acronym for Lost Landscapes, which was born out of a fascination for the adventurous fringe, poetic leftover space, and spontaneous nature, the natural development of the office led him to design places like the adidas HQ campus, and Shenzhen’s main waterfront, Shenzhen Bay Park. With self-initiated studies and design researches, he keeps on working on topics that deserve more attention in the field of (landscape) architecture. Examples of his designs are Park Vijversburg in Tytsjerk, Singelpark in Leiden, Forest Sports Park in Shenzhen, Composed Nature in Neerpelt. Recent research focused on post-disaster landscapes, carbon positive land use, afforestation, and climate adaptation in the urban environment.
In 2013, Peter Veenstra received the Rotterdam Maaskant Prize for Young Architects, in 2014 the TOPOS landscape award, and in 2020, WAF China Awards for both Excellent Design and Best Landscape. He co-wrote the first monograph on LOLA, titled ‘Lost Landscapes’, and the second, titled ‘In Search of Sharawadgi’.
Education
1997/05 Landscape architecture and planning, specialization Landscape architecture, Wageningen University & Research Centre
Professional experience (selection)
2022 Co-curator, International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam
2021 Co-curator, Landscape Works, with Piet Oudolf and LOLA
2021 Tutor Studio Into The Woods, Independent School for the City, Rotterdam
2020 Co-curator, Sponsland Design Manifestation Groningen
2020/… Director LOLA Landscape Architects Shenzhen
2020/… Member Supervisory Board GRAS
2019 Team Captain Manifestation Region of the Future, NOVI
2018 Speaker at Design Indaba, Cape Town
2018 Jury Member Goude Piramide
2016 Jury member, Europan 2016 and 2015
2016 Definitive design pedestrian bridge across the Dender
2015/18 Region-advisor Groningen-Assen
2015 Jury member BNA “Building of the Year 2015”
2015 Visiting professor, Academie voor Bouwkunst, Amsterdam
2014/18 Supervisor Singelpark Leiden
2014 Chairman Agency commission NVTL
2012 I-team, Hof van Midden-Delfland
2011 Speaker Architecture lecture de Brakke Grond, Amsterdam
2011 Visiting professor, landschapsarchitectuur, Wageningen UR
2010 Member Program council, NVTL
2010/11 Visiting professor, leerstoelgroep stedenbouw, TU Delft
2008 Visiting Professor, Academy for Architecture, Groningen
2006/… Cofounder and partner, LOLA Landscape Architects
2004/05 Independent landscape architect
2003/04 Landscape designer Veenenbos en Bosch, Arnhem
Projects (selection)
2021 Florenc 21, redevelopment station area, Prague, CZ
2021 Shenzhen Stadiums, landscape design, Shenzhen, CN (1st prize)
2021 Luxembourg in Transition, design research, LU
2020 Meelfabriek Terrain, public space design, Leiden, NL
2020/… Public space Slachthuiswijk design redevelopment public space, Antwerp, BE
2020/21 Metropolitan Forest Madrid, competition, Madrid, ES (1st prize)
2020/… Redevelopment and landscape design Shenzhen Bay, Shenzhen, CN (1st prize)
2019/… Parametric Forest Design parcel 1A, 6B and 11A, ES
2019/… Landscape Design Qianhai Public Places, Shenzhen, CN (1st Prize)
2019/… Masterplan Al Makthoum International Airport, Dubai, UAE
2018/… Design competition, Forest Sports Park, Guangdong, Shenzhen, CN (1st prize)
2018/… Landscape design, route, Beekdaelen, Limburg, NL
2018/… Landscape design, route, Leisure Lane, Limburg, NL
2018 Temporary Pavilion, Dome of Plants, Cape Town, SA
2017/18 Landscape design, Gasklockan residence, Stockholm, SE (in collaboration with Piet Oudolf)
2017/18 Landscape design, Castle Etzenrade, NL
2017/18 Masterplan, Erembodegem, Aalst, BE
2017/18 Masterplan, Torhout, BE
2017 Guideline, Groningen city center, NL
2017 Park design, Sendero Bogota, CL
2017 Outdoor space design, Casino Venlo, NL
2017 Design Contest, Bandirma Park, TR (shortlist)
2015 Adidas Campus, landscape design, Herzogenaurach(DE)
2015 International Park, park design, The Hague
2015 Ankerpark Leiden, landscape design, Leiden
2015 Hof van Heeckeren Zutphen, garden design, Zutphen
2014 Metropolitan Landscapes Brussels, design research (BE)
2014 Sportpark Genk, landscape design, Genk (BE)
2014 Sokolniki Park, design competition, Moscow (RU)
2014 Quarry Park Be’er Sheva Israel, Vision for a desert Park, Be’er Sheva (IL)
2014 Health Park, masterplan public space, Dordrecht
2014 Leeuwenhoekpark, landscape design, Leiden
2013 Star Maze, park extension Groot Vijversburg, landscape design, Tytsjerk
2013 Singelpark Leiden, landscape design and design rules, Leiden
2012 Competition Singelpark Full Cirkel, Leiden (1st prize)
Awards
2021 WLA Build-Urban Merit Award, Forest Sports Park
2020 WAF China, Best landscape and Excellent Design, Forest Sports Park
2020 AAP ME Award of Excellence, Public Spaces Qianhai
2014 TOPOS Landscape Award
2013 Rotterdam Maaskantprijs for Young Architects
2009 Delta Water Award, Van Meer naar Delta, Grevelingen en Volkerak (1st prize)
Exhibitions (selection)
2022 Paradise in Friction, Interior garden installation, Kunsthal KAdE, Amersfoort
2021 In Search of Sharawadgi, Landscape Works of Piet Oudolf and LOLA, Schunck, Heerlen
2021 Design For Transition, LOLA + ONE, Cube Gallery, Shenzhen
2021 Sponsland, Climate Adaptation Week Groningen, Groningen
2019 Installation A String Theory – Future of Leisure, Hong Kong Biennale
2019 Landscape as Cult – A Changing View on our Nature, Bureau Europa, Maastricht
2018 1001 Gardens of Sustainability, LWD2018
2018 Solana Uljinc, Montenegro Pavilion, Venice Biennale
2014 Tapestry Metropolis Brabant, International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam
2014 Mansholt, Landscape in Perspective, Bureau Europa and Het Nieuwe Instituut
2013 Book Of Copies, San Rocco, AA London
2012 Composed Nature, Klankenbos, Neerpelt
2012 900 km Nile city, ABR
2011 Rustling Trees, Urban Explorers Festival, Dordrecht
2010 Dutch Design Talent 2006-2010, Centraal Museum Utrecht
2008 Tuned City: between sound and space speculation, Wriezener Bahnhof, Berlin, Germany
2007 Amsterdam Airport City, Virtual Museum Zuidas, Amsterdam
Publications (selection)
2021 In Search of Sharawadgi, Nai010 Publishers
2021 Sponsland, A Journey through the Future Landscape, GRAS Publishers
2021 Gente Interessante, interview Gaceta Holandesa
2021 Green, Greener, Greenest, Podcast De Architect
2021 Building on Virgin Land, Podcast De Linkse Mannen Lossen het Op
2021 A future to look forward to, interview National Environmental Vision
2021 ‘Sharawadgi’ in garden design and landscape architecture, interview Designboom
2020 The Ethics of Working Abroad, Interview, Crossing borders: Discussing Internationalisation
2015 Landscape Architect Peter Veenstra, Gonzo Circus
2014 De Canvasconnectie, Canvas 2014
2014 Natural Extremism, Yearbook De Architect 2014
2014 The Leftovers on the Map, Bob Witman, Volkskrant
2013 We all Want to be Green, Tracy Metz, NRC
2013 Lost Landscapes, monografie LOLA landscape architects
2013 Book of Copies, San Rocco Magazine
2012 Interview, Scape Magazine
2011 Every City its High Line, Archined
2011 Antidote for the City, NRC handelsblad
2010 Trains, cars and trees, ISEA2010 RUHR conference proceedings
2009 Gouden Gids van mooi Nederland, Archined
2009 Modder als voorland, Blauwe Kamer magazine
2009 Platform, Architectuur.nl magazine
2009 Hight Voltage Parks, Archined magazine
2008 Stop de Groene verrommeling! Blauwe Kamer magazine
2005 Van Pendrecht tot Ommoord, NAi010 Publishers
