Het Kasteel

crystal Sites where you can build dwellings have become a scarce good in Amsterdam. We deal with complex confrontations with sound outlines, security circles and air quality requirements. Het Kasteel lies in a new living area that is situated in the eastern part of Amsterdam. The building stands besides a large shunting yard. The requirement to make a sound baffle apart from the building, has conducted to a unique façade. The building is enveloped in a glazed skin of panels that are slightly angled to each other. This artifice lends the building the appearance of a gigantic crystal. Therefore the building has become an icon for the area and functions as a calling card to the city. castle The by water surrounded building consists of a 45m high tower standing on a four to five-storey base. Pedestrians and cyclists access the internal courtyard via a bridge. On this half-open wooden deck are the entries to all dwellings. The dwellings vary in size and typology. There are ground- tied dwellings, upstairs-downstairs dwellings, gallery apartments and tower apartments in a two-some. Despite the sound problem we have managed to create an outdoor space for every dwelling and by developing a new system, all spaces are naturally ventilated.

skin To combine a high level of sound insulation with aesthetics we have chosen for glazed cassettes that can be attached to the dwellings. Through this a double façade with a cavity is generated. The joints between the cassettes enable the natural ventilation of the building. To create a warm expression, the inner (thermal) façade is covered with wood (Loura Gamela). The extra façade contributes enormously to the costs of the building. Hence, it was chosen to design the framework as simple as possible so that the budget could be spent on the quality of the dwellings. That has succeeded here convincingly.

coming home The building's design had to stimulate social and interpersonal relationships between the inhabitants. The idea of designing an inner courtyard derived from this concept. It is the hart of the building and an informal, protected space, where people meet. All dwellings are entered through this inner court, which works as an extra invitation to social encounters. The central entry halls are visible by coloured glazed walls that work, especially at night, as lanterns for the inner court. Underneath the wooden deck of the inner court is a parking garage so cars can be parked out of sight. The garage is designed like an entry hall with wooden walls, trees and daylight through the ceiling. What from the outside gives the impression of an ice castle contains a warm welcome on the inside. Het Kasteel shows in this way that it's possible to transform an apparently unusable location into a top spot.