| Architect |
Meyer + Van
Schooten, Architekten Cie, Heren 5 |
| Date
Built |
2007 |
| Location |
Westerdokskade/Westerdikdijk |
| Description |
|
The "housingprototypes.org" website has an
interesting article about the Westerdok
Island housing development. This piece
of land was apparently used as a railway
shunting yard connected to Amsterdam Central
Station by way of a swinging bridge.
The shunting yard was abandoned, the
swinging bridge converted into a restaurant
and this narrow spit of land became home to
the residential blocks you see on this page. The article goes on to explain that, "... The early master plan concept for Westerdokseiland was to combine a perimeter block typology of closed courtyards with one of freestanding buildings. The long narrow site was divided up into 4 blocks between a straight quay along the west side opposite Westerdok, and a curving wall along the east side facing the IJ. Three of the 4 blocks were variations of a perimeter block typology. The 4th block was a 13-story narrow triangular building that tapered to a point at the north end. At the south end there was a large plaza facing the channel connecting Westerdok with the IJ. The 4 blocks are organized on a repeating E/W grid. This resulted in a consistent pattern even though there was a lot of variety in building height, shape, and materials."  "A different
team of architects developed each of
the 4 courtyard blocks: La Grande
Cour (253 units): Meyer & van
Schooten; Heren 5; De Architeken
Cie; VOC Cour (362 units): MVRDV;
Jeroen Schippen; John Bosch; Art
Zaaijer; Westerkaap II (191 units):
AWG Architecten; DKV Architecten;
Baneke, van der Hoeven; Westerkaap I
(111 units); AWG Architecten;
Baneke, van der Hoeven"
Like most large
Dutch housing projects,
Westerdokseiland has a diverse mix
of rental and owner-occupied
dwellings and a great range of
apartment types and sizes. Of the
253 dwellings, in La Grande Cour,
120 are owner occupied homes, 80 are
government -sponsored rental
housing, 30 are designated for
middle income families, 24 are top
end rental, and there several
penthouses. Some of the apartments
have balconies and access to roof
terraces. There are 263 parking
spaces and about 2500 square meters
of commercial space. La Grande Cour
is a virtual lexicon of dwelling
types.
 |
|
|
Westerdok,
Amsterdam, Holland
 |
