Four Towers in Osdorp, Netherlands by Wiel Arets Architects

Article source: Wiel Arets Architects

In Osdorp, southwest of Amsterdam, major changes took place to transform a vacant zone into a residential district connected to the existing housing area alongside it. One part of the residential district is a public garden, Jan van Zutphenplantsoen, where the four towers stand along a newly created water-park. All four towers are sited according to the given urban footprint and take up the maximum envelope, giving a total of 390 apartments evenly distributed over 11 levels.

Image Courtesy © Wiel Arets Architects

• Architects: Wiel Arets Architects
• Project: Four Towers
• Location: Osdorp, Netherlands
• Program: Housing
• Size: 59.000 m2
• Date of design: 2002-2007
• Date of completion: 2010
• Project team: Wiel Arets, Bettina Kraus, Mai Henriksen, Jacques van Eyck
• Collaborators: Arthur Claassens, Phillip Dirix, Harold Hermans, Rob Willemse
• Client: Bouwbedrijf M.J. De Nijs en Zonen BV, Fortis, Rochdale, Eigen Haard
• Consultants: Van Rossum, Wetering Raadgevende Ingenieurs, Hiensch, Bouwbedrijf M.J. De Nijs en Zonen BV, Permasteelisa

Image Courtesy © Wiel Arets Architects

Three overlaid patterns create an elevation that conveys the internal organization to the outside world. First, an aluminum cladding indicates the separation between the apartments. Second, the mirroring concept of the plan results in a playful façade pattern ranging between alteration and iteration, between standardizing and individualizing. Third, the twofold elements bring about a subtle discontinuation within the unitized surface.

Image Courtesy © Wiel Arets Architects

The towers share an underground parking facility lit and ventilated by four enormous voids. By vegetating the roofs of the parking facilities, the complex is made part of the adjoining public garden whose pleasant atmosphere is drawn into the glazed entrance lobbies. As the parking strip and entrance level are less wide than the main mass of the buildings, the cantilevered towers overhang adjacent conditions, both street and water.

Image Courtesy © Wiel Arets Architects

Image Courtesy © Wiel Arets Architects

Image Courtesy © Wiel Arets Architects

Image Courtesy © Wiel Arets Architects

Image Courtesy © Wiel Arets Architects

Image Courtesy © Wiel Arets Architects

Image Courtesy © Wiel Arets Architects

Image Courtesy © Wiel Arets Architects

Image Courtesy © Wiel Arets Architects

Image Courtesy © Wiel Arets Architects

Image Courtesy © Wiel Arets Architects

Tags: Netherlands, Osdorp

Category: Tower

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