OpBuuren is a 21st century residential area in Maarssen, part of the Dutch municipality of Stichtse Vecht. The district is located on the banks of the Vecht river, between Oud-Zuilen and the village center of Maarssen. It owes its name to the country estate Op Buuren that once was here around 1365 of the Op Buren family, Opbueren.
Op Buuren was founded in 2007 on the grounds of the ACF factory that closed in 2002 (formerly Nederlandsche Quininefabriek). In 2013, Op Buuren was one of five nominees for the NEPROM Prize, a prize that, according to its own words, is awarded to "governments and market parties who have delivered a high-quality project through good cooperation". The project was completed in 2016.
The construction of Op Buuren was inspired by the historic building styles in the centers along the Vecht, such as Loenen, Nieuwersluis and Nigtevecht. Eight architects have designed Op Buuren, each with its own style. In addition, this architectural style promotes variation within the neighborhood. The architectural style of Op Buuren is often classified as retro architecture. The location is near the Op Burenbrug and the lock between the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal and the Vecht.
Op Buuren consists of three parts, each with its own face:
• Op Buuren Village with 572 homes, this is the core of Op Buuren south of the Vecht.
• Op Buuren Buiten with 72 homes, on the north side of the Vecht.
• Op Buuren Park", with 25 homes on a small inland harbor that flows into the Vecht.
There is also a canal in Op Buuren Dorp, the Proostwetering.
Since 2011, the Oostwaarderbrug, a new cycling and walking bridge over the Vecht, has connected the center of Op Buuren Dorp with Op Buuren Buiten.
As a tribute and reminder of the old Quinine factory, the leaf of the Quinine tree has been incorporated into the white drawbridge in OpBuuren over the Vecht.